Anchor
by EmbraceDiversity
Summary: Should a man be punished for a crime he doesn't remember? Ten years after the fourth shinobi war Sasuke returns and the only person he's familiar with is someone he barely knew. SasuNeji some GaaHina
1. Chapter 1

1

xxxxx

It was night, it was pouring, and he was tired. This was not his first solo mission but it was most certainly one of the more difficult ones. Physically, mentally…he really just wanted to go to his apartment, shower, and then forget it ever happened. As ANBU, 'forgetting' things was almost essential. Taking the memories that haunt you the most and locking it in the back of your mind, only to be called upon if necessary or asked. It was one of the first suggestions given to him by his old captain years ago and he had taken it to heart. He had seen what happens when people do not. 

They eventually lose their minds. 

Swiftly he moved through the forests of his home country despite the fatigue, despite the pain in his limbs and wounds that were screaming at him to _stop_ and rest. He didn't want to rest; he didn't want to be out here any longer than he had to be. Despite his feelings, however, he did find the rain to be refreshing. It had washed away the overwhelming stench of blood on his uniform and it had an almost purifying presence.

Many times he had looked up at the sky simply to feel the drops wash over his face as if it could cleanse him. He knew he shouldn't, because ANBU are never supposed to remove their masks while out of the village, but he didn't care. His bloodline limit was activated and there was no one around him within the eight hundred meter radius that he could see. 

"Hm?" he stopped abruptly on a thick tree branch, looking to the west where he thought he had seen something just now. Eyes narrowing, he shifted more chakra into his eyes in an attempt to focus in that area and… 

There. It was weak, but there was definitely someone about three hundred meters away. Whoever it was, their chakra was very low, as if barely hanging on by a thread. Frowning, he placed his bird mask back on his face and hurried to the figure that obviously needed help and/or medical attention. If friend he would take them back to the village; if foe he would finish them off. ANBU did not have the luxury of showing mercy and compassion to their enemies. 

When he was close enough to catch a good visual he deactivated his blood line limit and was so completely startled that he actually almost lost his footing as he landed above ground to investigate. He blinked, shook his head and blinked again. Surely he was seeing things. Perhaps he needed to schedule his six month psych eval a little early because who he was looking at should no longer exist. 

The figure was sitting and was obviously heavily injured. Blood was all over him. His head was down and his garments had seen better days. Although he could not see the face, he knew that hair. He knew who this person was. 

Somehow, Uchiha Sasuke had returned from the dead almost ten years after the fourth shinobi war. 

He stayed in his position a little longer, debating on what to do. As far as he knew of it, this man had been considered an international criminal upon his death and coming back to life almost a decade later wouldn't change that. Standard procedure would be to eliminate him but he was also close friends with the Hokage. If he killed this man it would not go down well. How was he even alive? He remembered them burying him while Naruto had still been in the hospital recovering. The man was supposed to be _dead._ What the hell happened? 

Jumping, he landed a few feet away, approaching warily. Despite the fact that he knew the man's chakra was pretty much all but spent he still wanted to be cautious. Last time he had checked, Uchiha's powers had been at a kage level. Low chakra didn't mean 'weakling'. It wasn't until he took a step that the slumped man stirred, his head quickly snapping up. The ANBU's eyes widened at the sight.

The criminal's left eye was completely dead and the wound that seemed to have caused it was still new; blood slowly leaking from split flesh. A kunai wound perhaps? The gash went down from the eyebrow to almost the middle of his cheek and it was not shallow. The eye itself looked as if a milky white was coated over what was once onyx but otherwise was not split or damaged externally. The rest of him didn't look any better. His clothes were practically shredded and his body was covered with gashes and other wounds. His left arm was bent at an unnatural angle. 

Despite the wounds, despite the obvious pain the other man was in he staggered to his feet, back pressed against the tree, terrified. The reaction startled the ANBU; sheer terror was the last thing he had expected to see on this man's face. 

"Please…" it came out harshly, as if he had not spoken in a very long time. "I don't…" 

Something was wrong. Sharp eyes took in the other man, his posture, his expression, and began to calculate possible reasons for what was currently happening. Experimentally, he took a step forward and the criminal's expression worsened, he was truly and utterly terrified of him. Why? 

_His stance is off, as if he had never had any formal training as a shinobi. He is visibly shaking and if he does not control his breathing he will begin to hyperventilate. _

There was a small pause before the ANBU tries one more thing "Uchiha Sasuke?" He purposefully stated it as a question and was absolutely stunned when a dark eye clouds over in confusion. 

"Who…is that?" it was asked softly and genuinely. After a second he shook his head, pressing himself further against the tree "Please, I…I don't know where I am or how I got here…I…" he trailed off, unable to say any more. 

Amnesia. The man had amnesia. It was a surprising revelation but not impossible. Ten years had passed after all. The ANBU found himself reaching for his mask, going against protocol in favor of his intuition. He does so slowly, not wanting to alarm the injured male. When he removed his mask a complete change came over the other. There was surprise as the Uchiha's gaze met his own pale silver and once more the reaction was something he never would have expected.

The man completely relaxed and smiled warmly at him. It was so stunning that he didn't immediately react when Uchiha began to move towards him with his gaze full of warmth and…love?

"It's you." He says softly, _lovingly_ and the ANBU male was in complete and total shock. He was so shocked that when Uchiha put his uninjured arm around his neck and pulled him close he did not resist. "I'm so glad." Fingers trailed up the back of his head, tips brushing along his hair tie. He only wore his hair in this high ponytail during missions, yet for some strange reason he really wished he… 

All thought processes ceased as rough but warm lips moved over his in a passionate kiss. It takes him a second before he actually pushed the man back, face flushed, pale eyes wide with shock and confusion. Having forgotten that the other male was quite weak he holds back a small cry when the Uchiha's good eye rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed.

The ANBU managed to catch him just in time and for a moment he merely stares at him, trying to sort out in his head what just happened. The criminal was definitely unconscious, dark brows furrowed as if in pain, bangs sticking to the side of his pale face. 

_What happened to you?_

Sliding his mask back on Hyuuga Neji shifted Uchiha's dead weight, lifting the man up on his shoulder. Thankfully the village was only a mile or so away. Regardless of the strange incident that happened only a moment ago the man needed medical attention or he would quite possibly die out here. His burden secure, he took off once more, slower but no less determined. 

He had absolutely no idea how he was going to explain _this_ to Naruto.

xxxxx

There was pain everywhere, all over his body. Groaning, he managed to open his eye although the bright light above him made him wince a bit in pain. Confusion and fear begin to fill him. Where was he? Why was he here? What was going on? 

"Sasuke-kun?" 

The voice was feminine but unfamiliar, and, although it hurt, he turned his head towards the sound, still wincing. As his vision adjusted he took in long pink hair and green eyes. She was wearing some sort of red jacket with a black tube top and black skirt…no wait…skort? Was that what it was called? The woman was pretty and there was some sort of weird red diamond on her forehead. Sasuke…that name was familiar. Right, _he_ had called him that hadn't he? 

"You know me?" his voice still sounded rough and his throat hurt terribly. Quickly, she turned and walked over with a glass of water. He gave her a wary smile until he tried to reach up and grab the glass. His gaze snapped to his wrists, one was bound directly and his injured one was resting along his chest but also had a strap leading to the bed. Once more fear filled him, why was he bound? What were these people going to do to him? 

Setting the glass down she approached him, but he jerked away from her, terrified. "Why am I in restraints?" he tried to shout although it pained his throat. When she tried to reach for him he jerked away from her again, confused and afraid. "I haven't done anything to you! Please! Let me go – I…" 

"Sasuke-kun…" she began but when he continued to panic she was forced to grab his shoulders. "Sasuke-kun! Please calm down." He stopped thrashing but there was still fear there and he was beginning to shake. "We put them on because you were in a lot of pain and we didn't want you to hurt yourself." 

She could tell he didn't quite believe her but he wasn't going to fight her either. To prove her point, although she was actually lying, she undid the leather straps that had kept him pinned. He raised his hand, using his injured one to rub at his wrist, his look still wary. "See?" she smiled and took a step back. "Nothing to be afraid of. We're not here to hurt you." Slowly, she picked up the glass of water to hand to him. "Still thirsty?" 

Still distrustful, he looked at the glass as if it were poisoned and then back up at her. After a moment he slowly reached out and took it, relaxing slightly when she smiled warmly at him. 

"My name is Sakura," she told him and there seemed to be a sad note to her voice. "The person who brought you here said you had amnesia. Can you tell me the last thing you can remember?" 

By the time she finished her question he had finished his glass and she took it from him, setting it down. There was a moment of silence and then, once he determined that he hadn't been drugged or poisoned after all, he responded. 

"I remember a man." Dark brows furrow as he tried to focus on the memory. None of it was cohesive, all a bunch of jumbled up pieces here and there. "He had…pale hair and strange eyes…like a snake." 

Apparently she knew who he was talking about because she sucked in a small breath and pain emerged. It helped him relax a bit more, knowing that she didn't care for the man either. "I remember his dead body and walking away." A shake of the head "That's all." He paused "Where am I?" 

It was very obvious that she was trying to remain medically detached but there was too much emotion in her emerald eyes. This woman did know him and his name was Sasuke. It sounded right although he couldn't remember. 

"You're in a hidden village called Konoha," she tells him, placing a warm hand over his. He finds that he likes her warmth and smiles up at her, allowing himself to relax completely. Whoever this woman was, she didn't seem like she wanted to hurt him. "You were born here and you were a shinobi here. I was…" there was something in her sad smile, pity, perhaps? "You and I were on the same team and we were friends." 

Why did it feel like she wasn't telling him everything? "I see." He really didn't because hardly anything she had said had sounded at all familiar or made sense to him. So this was the place of his birth? He was a shinobi and she had been his team mate. They had been friends. She didn't seem like a bad person and he could tell that she wasn't lying. He wasn't sure _how_, just a gut feeling.

Sakura opened her mouth to speak once more when a busty blonde entered the room and took in the two occupants. Immediately she scowled and turned to the pink haired woman.

"Why is he out of his restraints?" It was a demand and one that put him on alert. Had the woman been lying about why he had been pinned down? "What is going on here Sakura?" 

The other woman raised her hands in a peaceful gesture "Tsunade-sama, Sasuke-kun is…he has amnesia. He doesn't remember anything, not even his own name." 

Those dark brown eyes flickered to him and once more he was afraid, his gaze frantic. Where was he? Where was the man who had brought him here? Why wasn't he here? 

After taking him in the dark look completely vanished, making her look completely different and a lot less frightening. She looked at him as if he was some sort of new species, something strange and otherworldly. It made him highly uncomfortable. 

"Where is he?" he finally blurted out "Why isn't he here?" he was apprehensive and borderline frantic. He didn't know or understand anything and the only person he had found familiar wasn't around. 

Both women looked confused "Where is who, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura reached out to touch him once more but he was wary of her again, the other woman's presence and reaction confusing and alarming him. He was now almost positive that the pink haired woman had lied to him about the restraints earlier. 

"A man," his gaze shifted between the two women "he has long brown hair that was pulled up into a pony tail and…white eyes." Yes, he remembered those eyes especially. He had realized who that man was once he had looked at his eyes. 

Blinking, Sakura gave Tsunade a quick glance of slight confusion before turning back to him "You mean Neji? The one who brought you back?" 

The name didn't sound familiar but it seemed fitting on the other man "Neji…" he repeated, liking the sound. He was certain that was the white-eyed man. "Yes, him. Please tell me where he is." 

"Why do you want to know about Hyuuga?" The woman named Tsunade was clearly confused. 

Hyuuga? Was that maybe Neji's last name? Frowning, he looked at the busty woman and said with complete and total conviction, "Because he's my lover." He was absolutely sure of it. He couldn't remember anything—not really—but the moment he had seen the other man he had just known.

The reaction from the two women made him feel highly uneasy. They looked totally stunned, as if he had said the sky was falling or something similar. The two women once again exchanged looks of surprise and confusion. 

Tsunade frowned thoughtfully and then turned to Sakura "Try and see how bad the damage is to his memory," the woman told Sakura and then looked at him. "Do you mind if we do a few tests on you?" Her entire demeanor had changed. Instead of looking intimidating she seemed serious, professional. "We just want to see if we'll be able to help you gain your memory back." 

They hadn't answered his question. Why? He decided he'd play along in hopes that they would tell him eventually. He really wanted to see the white-eyed man again. Nodding, he leaned back and kept his gaze straight ahead while two delicate hands hovered over both sides of his head. There was a green light and strange warmth moving through his mind although it wasn't uncomfortable, just weird. 

After about a minute or so Sakura let out a small gasp and took a step back, turning immediately to the busty woman. "Tsunade-sama…please take a look." She sounded very upset which was making him extremely uneasy. What was wrong with him? 

Remaining silent, he once again did not move or say anything when the other woman began to do the same thing as Sakura. Once again, after a minute she pulled away, surprise and a myriad of other emotions that he couldn't pin down emerged. 

"What is going on?" he demanded, tired of the secrecy. "What's wrong with me? What did I do that required you to put restraints on me? Where is Neji? Stop hiding things from me if it's about me." 

Guilt and pity moved across Sakura's face but Tsunade's expression was thoughtful and slightly stern. "Alright, Uchiha. I'll answer some of your questions." The ex-Hokage waited until she had his full attention. "Your condition is permanent, someone completely wiped away all of your memories and whatever they couldn't erase they placed behind an extremely complicated seal that even I can't fathom how to break. You might get flashes or sensations, parts of your old personality will probably kick in but you'll never regain all of your memories, they're gone for good." 

"…Never?" the revelation was stunning and he looked at his hands, hands that had been unfamiliar to him when he had first awakened. He was stuck like this. He would never remember who he truly was or the life he had lived. He had to completely start over from scratch. It was an extremely depressing thought and he suddenly felt very, very alone. 

"As for the restraints," she continued as if he had never spoken. "Since your situation is the way it is, it'd be best if you slowly were given information about your past. If we told all of it to you at once it'd overwhelm you and I'm sure all of this is confusing enough as it is." 

A thoughtful frown. "So then, what you're basically saying is that my past is too horrible for me to handle right now." It wasn't a question. "And I had restraints on because you were afraid of me doing something terrible." 

There was a tense silence before Tsunade gave him a sardonic smile. "Well, it's good to know that your amnesia hasn't affected your intelligence. You're still a genius it seems." She sighed. "Listen, Uchiha, regardless of your past you are _never_ going to remember it. Your slate has been completely wiped clean. You'll never be that person again because of it and your condition is very delicate. Whoever Uchiha Sasuke was in the past, you're not him any longer; you will probably become a completely different person now." 

He wanted to ask if that would be a good thing or a bad thing but he had a pretty good guess. So apparently he had been a horrible person in the past. Did he really want to know, then? Did he really want to know the types of things he had done? Maybe Tsunade was right and remaining ignorant of it for now was best.

"What about Neji?" The Hyuuga was the only thing familiar in his little world and he needed that, needed him. Nothing made sense and the only memories he had were the ones he was making right at this moment. It was an extremely terrifying situation for him because he felt so absolutely _lost_ and he needed something, anything, to help him feel as if he weren't so alone. 

"Uchiha," Tsunade paused, as if trying to figure out how to properly word herself. "Hyuuga Neji is…not only is he not your lover, he's not even an acquaintance of yours. You…" she sighed. "You never knew him on a personal level. The two of you are virtually strangers." 

"You're lying." His voice was hard. "I know what I feel, even if I don't have any memories of anything." It wasn't true, couldn't be true. He felt absolutely certain that the two of them were together. This woman had to be lying because if she wasn't…if she wasn't he had absolutely nothing solid in his life, nothing to give him any sense of familiarity or peace of mind. 

"Sasuke-kun…" his gaze shifted back to the pink haired woman. There it was again: that sad, pitying look on her face. It was beginning to grate on his nerves. "Tsunade-sama is correct. You met Neji once, very briefly, and it was practically thirteen years ago." 

"What you're experiencing is something that amnesia victims experience when they see something that 'clicks'." Tsunade continued. "It probably could have been anyone and you would have reacted the same way. You saw him. Your mind wanted and needed an anchor and he became that." 

Shaking his head, he glared at them. "I don't believe you," he insisted. "You all keep trying to confuse me. Please go away." He felt so tired, frustrated, and helpless. "Leave me alone." 

Sakura looked as if she wanted to say something, but Tsunade raised a hand and shook her head. "You'll be free to leave the hospital in another week, but you'll have a psych evaluation beforehand with the council members of this village. We'll get you set up with a place to stay and figure out where to go from there." 

He didn't answer and it didn't seem as if the woman had expected one. The two women left shortly thereafter, and after a long moment, he put his face in his hands and wept in hopeless frustration.

xxxxx

"Sasuke is…alive?" The Hokage was glad that he had been sitting in his chair; otherwise, he probably would have collapsed. "How is that even possible? I thought you guys buried him…I mean, you did, right?" He wasn't at all sure how he was supposed to react or feel to this. His friend was truly back from the grave? A cold shudder went through him and he gave the two women a fearful look. "He's not like…a ghost or a zombie is he?" 

Sakura's eyebrow twitched and he could tell his wife was about two seconds to becoming violent. "No, dummy," she growled at him. "He's _alive_. I don't know how it happened but I'm absolutely positive it had something to do with Kabuto." 

The Copy-nin crossed his arms in thought. "Do you think that maybe he wasn't dead like we thought and Kabuto took advantage?" 

"That's the only conclusion I can think of," Tsunade said, shaking her head. "Although that meant that he was keeping very close tabs on Uchiha's movements and probably dug him up right after you guys left. If that's the case, who the hell knows what he went through for the past ten years.

"Whatever it was, it left him completely blind in one eye and his vision isn't so great in the other eye either." She waved a hand. "That can be fixed but the blind eye seems to have been that way for a while, even though the scar on his face was fresh when Hyuuga found him." 

"Kabuto was very similar to Orochimaru concerning science and research," Kakashi reminded them. "We should probably find the lab Sasuke came from and see what we can dig up. With the injuries he was sporting, I doubt it could have been too far." 

Letting out a hard sigh Naruto put his hands through his hair, keeping them there. "And he's…he's never going to get his memories back?" That was the most distressing news of all. Even if it hadn't ended well there had also been the good times in their friendship. All of that was gone now? 

"I have no idea what Kabuto did, but he was very thorough." The former Hokage shook her head, scowling. "I'm almost positive that it wasn't a quick wipe either. He probably spent years screwing with Uchiha. There's a seal blocking memories that it looks like he was unable to erase, probably key ones. I won't even lie to you. I have no idea where the hell that guy learned to make that seal and even with a team it'd probably take me years to unravel it, it's _that_ complicated."

Her grin was humorless. "Let me rephrase that. I can easily remove the seal, but it'd turn the kid into a vegetable. There's a certain way it has to be done and I can't possibly think of what. I'd just consider it a permanent seal and be done with it. Trying to remove it is too risky." 

"Shit." Naruto shook his head. This was just… "What do we do? I mean, if you look at it like that he's not even Sasuke anymore." 

"Hm." Eyes turned to the silver haired jounin. "Well, if that's the case, that means he's no longer an international criminal correct? You can't really punish a man in his situation and he'd be able to start over again." A lazy eye slid to Naruto. "You could start your friendship over. If what Tsunade-sama is saying is true, there'll still be parts of him, bits and pieces that are ingrained." 

He hadn't thought about it like that. It was sad that he was no longer himself but at the same time maybe it was a good thing. Sasuke's old life had been full of sadness, hatred, and vengeance. The guy had gotten the short end of the stick until it had eventually driven him mad. Maybe this time his friend could actually be happy. Maybe Sasuke could finally be at peace.

"Alright," the Hokage sat up. "I'll deal with the council and we can set him up in the apartments once he's cleared." His eyes squinted as he frowned in concentration "What about his skills as a shinobi?" 

"He doesn't remember any of that," Tsunade informed him, "but at the same time he's been a shinobi for so long he would probably be able to pick it all back up easily. More than likely he'll innately remember jutsus or skills he had learned in the past." 

Well, that wasn't too bad. He could just train the bastard and then maybe they'd be able to spar again. It wouldn't be the same but it was better than not having him at all. "What about Kabuto?" 

This time Sakura spoke up. "Sasuke-kun says that he remembered seeing Kabuto's corpse, so he could very well be dead. It'd explain why he was so beat up when Neji found him." 

"Speaking of Hyuuga," Tsunade gave Naruto a look. "Apparently, your ANBU captain removed his mask to placate the frightened Uchiha and the guy latched onto him as an emotional anchor. Now he thinks the two of them are lovers." 

Kakashi looked _highly_ amused by this and Naruto stared at her for a very long time. Then his jaw dropped and he shook his head. "What? What do you _mean_ he thinks Neji's his…what the hell?" Okay, the memory loss thing he could get, being kidnapped by Kabuto when he should have been dead, that was understandable.

"You mean that bastard is gay?" _That_ he could not wrap his mind around. He supposed maybe that incident at the academy that he refused to admit truly happened could have had something to do with it but still… "I mean, I know the guy didn't like the fan girls but still…" 

Both females rolled their eyes. "Don't be stupid," his wife snapped. "It could have been anyone. Neji was just the first person he saw and he latched onto that. The fact that he could have been a familiar face could have added to that. Gender has nothing to do with it." 

Well hell. Well, it could have been worse; it could have been Shikamaru or Ino or…Kiba. He got uncomfortable chills just thinking about it. "Uh, so what does Neji think about all this?" 

Apparently, no one in the room knew and Naruto sighed. "Alright, get Neji up here and I guess we'll talk to him or something. Maybe he can straighten things out with Sasuke. Does the guy have a girlfriend?" 

No one seemed to know that either. Damnit, he was going to have to resort to the gossips because he sure as hell wasn't going to directly ask a guy something like that. That was just weird. He was going to have to pay Sasuke a visit eventually and see if maybe seeing him would trigger something. If nothing else, he could try to be friends with him again. The guy probably felt completely alone even though all these people knew him. Maybe that even made it worse. 

This was going to take some time for him on a professional and personal level. Professionally, he was going to have to fight the council and the other nations once they caught wind of Sasuke's rise from the dead. Gaara would probably help him out because Gaara was his buddy and always helped out when he could. Maybe the Mizukage. She was into young men. Or was it young boys? He couldn't remember. He just knew the woman was a freak.

The Raikage would be a pain in the ass but maybe Killerbee would help him out. They were cool like that. Tsuchikage, whatever, as long as the other nations were okay with it that old fart could sit on it and spin if he wanted to bitch. Personally, he was going to have to deal with the fact that when he looked at his best friend that he wasn't dealing with 'that bastard' anymore but rather someone completely different. It'd be really weird and disconcerting but in the end he was still Sasuke so he would still be there for him. 

_But Neji?_ He thought, confused. _What the hell? I gotta figure out what that's about because…wow._


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

**xxxxx**

The first thing the Hyuuga decided to do once he had dropped off Uchiha and given his report was go and take a nice, _long_ shower. Hot water only, please. The water had helped smooth out stiff muscles and had felt soothing through his hair. He was absolutely exhausted after his ordeal and after this he had every intention of crashing on his bed in whatever fashion that happened to come upon him; 'elegant' probably wasn't on the list.

Normally, he would have meditated first and tried to clear his mind to 'lock away' the memories from that horrible mission he had just come from. Tonight, however, he was just too damn tired, and his mind wasn't on the mission. It was on what had happened when he had come across Uchiha Sasuke.

Now that he was thinking about what happened it seemed surreal. Seeing the man alone had been a complete shocker. The reaction Uchiha had when he had seen his face, however, had been…he didn't even really know. It was obvious that for some reason the other man had believed him to be someone of importance, to the point of intimacy. That had not been his first kiss. It had not even been his first kiss by a male, but it had definitely been unexpected.

Neji found himself feeling quite numb about it as he washed his long hair. It hadn't bothered him but he hadn't 'liked' it either, not in the romantic sense. The fact that it was a man wasn't what bothered him. He didn't really care about gender. It was the fact that it was _him_ that was what made it slightly uncomfortable. He didn't even know the guy, not really, and his opinion of him hadn't been that great either.

Except that man had not been the Uchiha Sasuke as he had known him. The man he had seen tonight had been little more than a frightened civilian – a terrified amnesiac who had obviously been through a horrible ordeal.

_"It's you,"_ he had said with complete confidence. The Uchiha's gaze had been unmistakable; it had been the look that someone gave their lover or significant other. Why would the man think such a thing? He would definitely have to ask Sakura or Tsunade. They would probably be able to give him information on what had transpired.

Still feeling a bit confused he decided to dismiss it. Sakura or Tsunade would tell Uchiha eventually that he was mistaken and that would be the end of his involvement. Naruto would jump on the chance to reestablish their bond, and perhaps with proper training, Uchiha would be able to become a shinobi again. More than likely, the two men would never interact again and that was probably for the best.

Unfortunately, his subconscious decided it didn't want to let the situation go. Once he had closed his eyes and drifted to sleep the raven haired male had been there, that warm smile from before on his face and love in his gaze. The sensation of warm hands had drifted over his body as he lay on his bed and pleasure had filled him when the man had dipped his head, trailing lips and teeth up along his abdomen to his chest. It had felt so real, the sensation of the other man's warm tongue along his skin, hands exploring.

They kissed and he had liked the sensation, the feeling of those lips over his, the warmth of the other's body on top of him. Next thing he knew his hands, which he had at that point realized were bound above his head, had clenched and his back arched as a warm mouth took him in fully and wait a second, had he been naked earlier?

Any further thought had been quickly dismissed as that wonderful mouth had sucked him; hand moving over anything left exposed. Then once more that tongue had moved over him, trailing up the shaft and head; teasing him until he thought he'd go mad with pleasure. Just as he had been about to reach his peak, his body had jerked awake and he had lain there, panting, sweaty.

He was still lying on his bed, pale eyes wide as he stared at the ceiling trying to figure out what the hell just happened. It was morning and today he was off which was probably a good thing now. Putting frustrated hands through his hair he dragged himself out of bed to once more take a shower. Cold water only, please. After drying his hair and dressing in his old robes he realized that he had promised his cousin he would stop by for some sort of surprise that didn't involve him but she wanted to tell him face to face or something like that she had said.

In an attempt to regain his balance and center he had tried meditating and found his thoughts too chaotic to properly settle into a calm state of being. Of course, this was irritating, which only made things worse, making him eventually have to give up altogether. It wasn't often that this happened; usually it was only when a mission had been particularly stressful or traumatic. Last night's mission had definitely counted and on top of the huge shocker that was Uchiha Sasuke being alive it only made sense that he would need more time before he could settle down mentally.

A knock on his door sounded while he had just finished eating breakfast and had been cleaning up. Odd, he hadn't been expecting any visitors today. Quickly finishing up, he made his way to the door and found himself rather surprised at the person standing there.

"Sakura?" Quickly he took her in, trying to determine from body language possible reasons she could be visiting him. The woman was tense, distracted, and very worried. She was fighting not to wring her hands in nervousness and she was definitely avoiding looking him in the eye.

It took him very little time to realize that she was here concerning Uchiha and judging by the strained expression, more than likely it had something to do with the injured man's confusion as to their relationship or lack thereof. "Would you like to come in?" He made to move so that she could enter but she shook her head and gave him a nervous smile.

"I'm sorry for bothering you this early in the morning…" He resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow at her obvious stalling tactic. He was almost positive Sakura knew that he understood why she was at his door. "I um, well Naruto…"

Tilting his head he gave Sakura a bland look. "Sakura, I am pretty sure I understand why you are here although I am curious as to how I could still be involved. You did inform him of the truth did you not?"

She seemed to come to the conclusion that it was okay to be upfront and blunt with him and her stance became a bit more confident, although, she was still troubled.

"He didn't believe us," she answered. "He became very angry and told us to leave. He was calmer this morning but he refused to speak with anyone." She let out a heavy sigh. "Sasuke-kun is absolutely convinced that the two of you are lovers and we were hoping if you'd go down and maybe talk to him. You've become his emotional anchor of sorts and he's in a very delicate state of mind right now."

Neji frowned thoughtfully "So then, you wish for me to allow him to believe that –"

"No, no!" She raised her hands, shaking her head. "No, not at all, but maybe if you explain it to him…I mean he'll probably become upset but it's better that he understands now so he can try and move past it."

That made sense and it wasn't like he wanted the Uchiha to continue to go around believing that the two of them were an item when they clearly were not. His thoughts shifted to her comment about emotional anchors. Did that mean that the reason the half-blind man had reacted in the manner that he had was because Neji had been the first thing he had been able to lock onto? He had been terrified until the mask had been removed.

Perhaps because somehow Sasuke's mind had known that he was familiar it jumped to a conclusion that would make his life seem more concrete and real? It didn't sound too farfetched. Well, if nothing else, maybe he could possibly befriend this new Uchiha. Since the man truly had amnesia he was practically a completely different person and would more than likely need help and support. It wasn't a thought he really wanted to entertain fully, but it was there nonetheless.

"What is his condition?" Might as well get the full scenario since they wanted him to become more directly involved, even if for a moment. "His amnesia, is it something he can recover from?"

Sakura shook her head. "We're under the belief that Yakushi Kabuto might have had Sasuke-kun all this time. His memories have been completely erased and what he couldn't erase he sealed away and not even Tsunade-sama wants to tamper with it."

Pale eyes blinked. Well, that was a rather interesting revelation but it explained much. Ten years, though. Perhaps it was good that he didn't remember. Who knew what that psychopath could have done to him?

"Very well, I will go and speak with him. Now then, you mentioned Naruto?"

"Oh!" the woman rolled her eyes. "He's just freaking out a little bit like an idiot because of Sasuke-kun thinking the two of you are together. Ignore it. I'll deal with him. You don't have to go now, just…whenever you have the time, we'd really appreciate it."

Grabbing his keys he walked out of his apartment locking the door. "I was on my way out anyway," he explained. "So I will meet with him now. I'm sure it won't take too long."

Her smile was warm "Thank you, Neji, for being so helpful. I'll take you to him." Not another word was exchanged between them from his apartment to the hospital.

xxxxx

The Hyuuga wasn't entirely sure what he should be expecting and Sakura hadn't said much about Uchiha's physical health. Perhaps he should have asked. Too late now that she had already left. There was nothing for it, he'd just have to see and react accordingly.

It was a single occupant room and the man was actually not in his bed, but standing at the window nearby, looking outside. Inwardly, Neji smirked at the small vase of flowers sitting on the nightstand as he walked in and wondered which one of his fan girls had dropped it off.

Neji felt slightly alarmed and uncomfortable by the fact that the raven haired male had yet to sense his presence. His back was still turned and he seemed quite oblivious. Like before, there was nothing in his posture that denoted any shinobi skill although he did seem tense. He closed the door soundly to catch the other man's attention.

Uchiha turned, the injured eye completely wrapped in bandages while the other one took him in. At first there was elation and relief which quickly turned to confused disappointment and then finally his expression became very detached and unreadable.

From this the Hyuuga determined that somehow throughout the night Uchiha had begun to believe the two medical specialists or perhaps even the look in his eyes had given him a clue. Regardless, the tension in the other man's shoulders seemed to increase and the air became very uncomfortable. He went back to looking out the window.

"I have been informed that Sakura and Tsunade-sama have spoken to you about the truth of our association." Sharp pale eyes took in the way Uchiha's unbroken hand had twitched, the only outward sign of emotion.

It took a long moment before Neji realized that he wasn't going to get an answer and he sighed mentally. Taking a few steps forward he stopped at the foot of the bed. "Uchiha," he begins and briefly scolds himself when the man tenses considerably. "Sasuke," he tried again but the only response he received was the slight inclining of the head, showing that he was listening. "I've been told that your situation is permanent and that you will, basically, have to start over. I cannot imagine how difficult and stressful this must be for you, if you need –"

"Not interested," came the sharp retort and it made him start, confused by his own reply as if he had intended to say something else. He shook his head slightly before turning his gaze to the ANBU captain, his expression still unreadable. "I mean…I don't think that would be a good idea. Sorry." His back turns to the Hyuuga once more.

He almost sighed out loud. Perhaps this had been a bad idea after all. It was obvious that the amnesiac was very distressed by the fact that the only person he had thought was familiar to him he had barely even known in his past. Well, Sakura had asked him to come down and straighten things out and it seemed that the objective had been accomplished.

"Very well, I will take my leave then." He turned to head out, feeling as if somehow all of this was wrong, which made no sense.

A hand slapped over his wrist in a tight grip, startling the Hyuuga. Surprised, he turned; he hadn't even heard Uchiha move and he had covered the distance so quickly…

The expression on the man's face was almost too sad to look at. The Uchiha seemed so _lost_. His gaze was pleading and there was a very tiny shred of hope within. There was a moment of silence before he spoke "Are you…absolutely certain…" It was spoken low and the moment the words emerged he had turned his head to the side, unable to look and see the truth in Neji's eyes. "It doesn't make any sense. I know what I feel and this…"

This time he did sigh. "I am sorry," he said very softly, "but Sakura and Tsunade-sama are correct. I met you once and it was only briefly, during the chunin exams. We did not exchange many words."

The grip on his wrist was gone immediately and Uchiha turned his back to him once more, going back to the window. "I see," was all he said.

Once more he found himself trying to offer friendship "Regardless, it does not mean that we have to remain strangers. Perhaps –"

"No." Uchiha cut him off once again "I'd rather not."

"Oh." Neji said rather lamely, confused as to why he felt disappointed by the other man's stern rejection. Pity, yes. Sadness, perhaps. Disappointment? "I understand. I apologize for the disturbance. I should get going then."

He was confused even more as his disappointment increased when this time the Uchiha did not stop him.

xxxxx

Annoyance moved through him when he heard someone knock softly on his door. Honestly, he really wanted to be left the hell alone. Every time someone from his 'past' walked through the door he felt even more confused and alone after they left than he had when they had first entered. Sasuke hated it whenever Sakura came in now because she always looked at him with such sadness and pity, making him feel like some sort of helpless child.

The Tsunade woman never said much whenever she came in and her visits were rare. A long haired blonde woman with blue eyes had come in at one point and she had been so forward that he had been grateful when Sakura had forced the 'Ino' woman out.

He hated it, absolutely _hated_ the fact that everyone knew him and he knew absolutely nothing about himself. Not only did they know but they refused to tell him, instead looking at him as if he were some tragic victim that they needed to dance around verbally. If it was going to be like this he'd rather be left alone. He didn't like how helpless everyone was making him feel.

On top of that, the only person he had been absolutely sure that he had known was someone he hadn't even associated with in the past. The moment the Hyuuga had entered his room and he had looked at him he had known that those two women had been telling the truth.

That had been the most painful part of all because now he really and truly had _nothing_. It didn't matter that all of these strangers were walking in and telling him that they had known and cared for him. He did not know them and their familiarity around him was very uncomfortable. Most of the time he was afraid and overwhelmed and he hated that as well.

"Yo." A tall, silver haired man walked in, waving a gloved hand. He had his headband covering one eye and a mask on his face, pretty much hiding almost all of his facial features. The most Sasuke could see was a dark, lazy eye regarding him with deceptive detachment. He wasn't entirely sure why but he felt that this man wasn't what he tried to appear to be. "How are you feeling?"

"Do I know you?" It was asked mostly out of irritation. He really was becoming tired of everyone being so familiar with him. All it did was constantly remind him of his condition. "If I'm supposed to, then please go away. I've had enough 'friends' coming in to last me a while."

The man laughed at this and he truly did seem genuinely amused. "I'm not exactly sure if you could call me a 'friend' per say, more like a…mentor. Did Sakura tell you about how you were in a three-cell squad?" When he nodded the man continued. "Well, I was the jounin that trained you three as genin. My name is Hatake Kakashi."

Sasuke took in this strange man warily. This 'Kakashi' wasn't giving him that pitying 'Oh, poor Sasuke' look and he didn't seem to be lying. "You don't look familiar to me." It was said flatly and he realized that he was beginning to become rather disagreeable and annoying but he hated the way the people here were making him feel.

Kakashi waved a dismissive hand "That's alright, I didn't come here to rehash the good old days anyway." Walking further into the room he began to dig in a small pack attached to his hip. "I actually…" he sounded slightly distracted, "brought you a present…"

"Tch." The Uchiha snorted and turned his head away. "If it's porn I don't want it." Both men immediately looked at each other in slight surprise and confusion moved through him once more. That…hadn't been what he had meant to say had it? It had been automatic. He shot the man an apologetic look. "Sorry, I didn't mean to –"

A rather strange look came over the older male, as if he were amused and pleased by something. He held up a hand. "Don't worry about it. For you, that's a rather typical response."

It was? Well, the Tsunade woman had told him that bits and pieces of his personality would jump out from time to time. Also, it was the first time since he had first awakened yesterday that anyone had actually said anything to him concerning who he had been. "What sort of person was I? No one will tell me anything. They think I can't handle it."

A book was tossed to him and he caught it, looking down at the title. "Shinobi basics…?"

"I'm sure you've been told that you used to be a ninja. That book is what academy students study from over the years. If you ever want to try and pick it back up, that'll help." A small pause. "To be honest, Sasuke, there are certain things I'm not allowed to tell you yet, but I can tell you who you were before you left the village."

Still looking at the book, he opened it and looked through the first few pages as he took in Kakashi's words. None of it really looked that familiar to him but the concepts didn't seem difficult to grasp. Closing it he glanced back up. "Thank you." He said politely before frowning slightly. That last thing the jounin had said to him seemed off, as if there was some sort of hidden meaning there. Well, if the man hadn't outright told him there probably wasn't, so he decided to settle for what he would say. "Anything would be nice. I'm tired of being in the dark."

That smile – at least, he was assuming the older man was smiling since it was somewhat difficult to tell when he was wearing a mask – reemerged and he assumed this pose that made him look as if he were reminiscing the days of old. "Well, if you want the honest truth…" the man's eye crinkled as the smile deepened. "You were arrogant, mostly unapproachable, stoic, cocky and to top it off you had a superiority and inferiority complex."

The Uchiha blinked at him. "Oh," was all that came to mind. Listening to that made him wonder if he had actually held any redeemable traits and if not, why the hell did all these people like him so much? It didn't sound as if he had been a nice person.

"So I was a jerk."

A short chuckle escaped the older male. "You could say that. You had your reasons. Anyway, you were also intelligent. Many people considered you to be a genius. You were kind but you never outwardly showed it. And, while you were unapproachable, you weren't cruel. As your former teacher, I can say that you weren't a bad kid. You had reminded me of myself when I had been your age."

The answers brought about more questions but he didn't want to badger the first person who had been willing to talk to him. The biggest question and the one he knew wouldn't get answered was what happened _after_ he had left the village. Sasuke had already come to the conclusion that he hadn't left on good terms, not with the way everyone danced around him and avoided saying too much – or with the exception of Kakashi – nothing at all. He was almost positive that he had done some terrible things. Why else would they have restrained him?

How was he supposed to feel about that? To know that he had possibly been a very cruel and hurtful individual, how was he supposed to take that? He didn't feel like that. It was as if the man was talking about a completely different person that had coincidently enough looked like him. Even before he had left the village he hadn't been a very kind person. Apparently, he had only become worse after leaving.

"How strong was I? I've already figured that you people were restraining me because I had done some terrible things, but that meant I had to have been decently strong enough to do them right? Why else go through the trouble?"

There was a small nod, the man agreeing with his deductions. "You were very strong," was the admission and Sasuke realized that he wasn't going to get much else out of that. The man seemed to say what he wanted to say and wasn't a fan of elaboration.

Once more Sasuke looked down at his hands. Hands that were slowly becoming familiar to him and only because they were logically his, not because he remembered anything about himself. What had these hands been capable of once upon a time? Had these hands killed? Tortured? Thinking about it made him feel a little ill "Am I…going to be punished for the things I did?"

Relief filled him when the man shook his head. While he would have accepted it, Sasuke really didn't want to be punished for things he didn't even remember doing as a person he would never be again. "No. The person who runs this village, he's going to fight for you so that you can start over. He cares about you a lot."

So then it was as the Tsunade woman said. They were going to give him a place to stay and help him. He would have to carve out a new life for himself, try to determine who he was and who he wanted to be as a person and set some goals for himself. Could he do that here? Did he honestly have a choice? "I don't know who you're talking about but…thank you. For answering my questions." It was said sincerely and he took his free hand, rubbing it along the fabric of the sling supporting the broken arm.

There was a bit more silence. "Sasuke." When Kakashi had his attention he continued. "You might not remember us but that doesn't mean you can't befriend us once again. In your situation you need a friend, even if it's just one person."

Sasuke didn't respond. There had been one person he had felt a connection with but it had been a lie, something his mind had made up to deal with the trauma. It still hurt, thinking back on what happened a few hours prior, seeing the detached look on the person he had been _positive_ had been someone important to him. Even if it had been a lie, even if it was something his mind had made up, it didn't make the feelings go away and he really wanted them to. Since they hadn't known each other well in the past that meant he probably wouldn't see the man again right? He hoped so.

In the end the Uchiha decided to keep silent but it seemed that his old teacher hadn't really expected a response to begin with. Although he still felt terribly alone and somewhat depressed, he didn't know if he wanted to try and form any bonds with anyone. He was still reeling from the last one.

He didn't hear when Kakashi had said goodbye. He didn't even realize the man had left until a good five minutes later. When he realized he was alone he looked down at the book on his lap and decided it was as good of a distraction from his thoughts as any.

xxxxx

"…alright?"

"Hm?" Sitting up straight Neji blinked at the soft voice and touch of his cousin, Hinata. Her brows were furrowed and she looked concerned. "I'm sorry. You said something Hinata-sama?"

With a small sigh she leaned back, giving him a small but sad smile. They were sitting in the main room of the Hyuuga estate and he quickly realized that the tea she had made for him had yet to be touched and was getting cold.

_I'm too distracted._

How long had he been over here? Almost an hour? Almost an entire hour and he had probably heard maybe five sentences from his cousin the entire time. His thoughts were filled with, annoyingly enough, the Uchiha. They weren't even really about the dream he had last night although that had been disturbing on its own.

He was bothered by the look the other man had given him when he had told him the truth. The Hyuuga had felt as if he had ripped the man's world apart and while this would not have bothered him if it had been the 'old' Uchiha, with this person…

"Neji-niisan, are you sure everything is alright with you?" Hinata's soft voice cut back into his thoughts and he shot her an apologetic look, realizing that he was being extremely rude and worrying her unnecessarily.

"Forgive me, Hinata-sama," he sighed and gave her a small smile. "I'm merely distracted. I had a rather stressful mission last night. I will try to be more attentive."

The Hyuuga head shook her head. "No, it's alright. You just seemed so sad and I was worried." Her small hand moved over his larger one that was resting in his lap. "We can talk about Hanabi-chan's wedding some other time if you –"

"Hanabi is getting married?" How had he missed _that_ revelation? Mentally shaking his head he forced himself to dismiss all thoughts of the raven haired male. "No, it is fine, could you please repeat the news? I promise I will not allow myself to become distracted again."

She gave him a look that clearly stated if he wanted to talk to her about it she would listen and he resisted the urge to smile. His cousin, ever the gentle soul. "Hanabi-chan is marrying Konohamaru-kun," she repeated and he saw the happiness in her pale eyes. The young couple had been dating for quite some time now and while Hanabi would never admit it, she had wanted him to pop the question for a while now. "I wanted to throw a surprise engagement party for her. I know you're busy with your missions but if it would be possible for you to stop by –"

"Hinata-sama." This time he did smile "I would loathe missing out on Hanabi's engagement party. If I can, I will do my best to take a few less missions so I can help you with the preparations."

"It's fine if you can't Neji-niisan. Just having you there will be enough." Her smile faded slightly. "I…received word that Uchiha-san was found and brought here last night."

"You did?" He was stunned and it showed. Word spread around fast it seemed.

"Well…" She adjusted her hands in her lap. "They sent word to all of the clan heads last night. They want us to attend his psych evaluation. I was told that he has amnesia."

He gave his cousin a small nod. "Yes that is correct. If you know that much, you know that I was the one who found him. I can personally attest the claims to be true."

"Naruto-kun has been going around trying to convince everyone to vote favorably." She laughed gently. "He was very adamant about it. I told him the Hyuuga clan would support him." She giggled again, putting her hands up to her face, the kimono sleeves trailing down slightly. "He hugged me in response and the guards thought that he was trying to attack me." She shook her head at the memory "No matter what Naruto-kun will always be Naruto-kun."

"Indeed." He shook his head lightly at his Hokage's antics. The man was incorrigible. After a moment he stood up to leave. "I shall take my leave, Hinata-sama. I know with the situation at hand your time has become limited."

She stood up with him. "Yes but…this was more important to me." When he turned to leave a delicate hand gently caught one of his sleeves and he turned to her in inquiry. Once more her expression was worried. "Neji-niisan…I know that you don't wish to burden anyone with your problems but…"

Turning back, he took her hand in his and gave her a warm smile. "I understand." More than likely if Naruto told her about the Uchiha he probably told her about the man's strange attachment to her cousin.

"It is not a major issue. I'll be fine in a day or so. You have enough to worry about with the clan; you don't need my personal problems on top of that." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "But I promise if it is serious, you will be the first person I come to."

That seemed to be enough for her and it was really all she _could_ expect from him and they knew it. "Alright. Take care Neji-niisan."

Giving her small and polite bow he saw himself out of his old home and headed back to his apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

3

xxxxx

Two weeks went by and Neji had heard little if anything about the Uchiha. He had been asked to give a statement for the psych evaluation and that had been it. He had expected it, had tried not to think much on it and had failed.

After that first night that same dream kept emerging. It wasn't every night but damn near and it was beginning to drive him to distraction. It wasn't as if he was sexually stunted. He was twenty-six years old and single; he'd brought home and gone home with individuals from time to time.

He had briefly contemplated going out and perhaps spending the night with whoever he picked up but the desire to do so was nonexistent. It really wasn't something he did often in any case. Neji had never been huge on physical affection. He didn't like the fact that he was reacting in such a manner to a man he had barely interacted with for not even a collective hour. He knew Uchiha had been discharged from the hospital and that he had been given a place to stay. That was it.

_"Are you…absolutely certain…?"_

That was another thing he couldn't get out of his head. The way Uchiha had looked at him that day. He had never seen the man look so happy in his life when his dark gaze had shifted to him. It had been…shocking. Then the happiness had turned into confusion and disappointment when he realized the truth, as if his entire world had been crushed. Perhaps it had.

Neji could only imagine how he would feel if his entire life had been wiped away and the only person he had felt close to didn't even know him. His offer for friendship had been genuine; seeing the fallen avenger like that had done something to him. It hadn't been pity, although to a certain extent he did feel sorry for the man.

When Sasuke had shot him down he had felt genuinely disappointed. What did that mean? The Hyuuga had never _wanted_ someone to be his friend. You either were or you weren't. He had already concluded that he hadn't offered out of pity, so what? Was it because of the dreams? That didn't seem to be it although they did greatly affect him.

He had been thinking on it for a while now with no real answers, and Neji, being the genius that he was, began to see it as a challenge. The Hyuuga wasn't a fan of not being able to solve a problem, and the answer was _there._ He just had to figure it out.

So when he wasn't on missions or otherwise distracted, he would mull over the problem here and there. The most he could come up with was that there was something about the other man that was making him feel this way. He just didn't know what it was.

_Focus on the mission,_ he scolded himself mentally as his team of three awaited his signal. They were after a known criminal who was slowly corrupting cities within the land of Fire through drug rings and gangs. The drug in question was extremely potent and did two things; it either brought them to an incredible high or it drove them insane, reducing them to little more than rabid animals.

The image of the children and teenagers he had eventually had to eliminate during the mission before he had found Uchiha still haunted him. He ended up getting one of the major dealers, but the stolen 'test subjects' had been beyond repair. Even if he had made it as quick and painless as possible…who would do such things to _children_? It had sickened him then and it sickened him now. He definitely wanted to get this guy.

Fingers flashed in the distance. Two shinobi, both powerful criminals from the Bingo Book. Boss inside. Sleeping. Insider awaiting orders.

The 'insider' was the fourth member of their group and the one whose job had been to seduce the crime boss and eliminate him. The rest of the team was for backup. To get rid of anyone and everyone else involved. The Hyuuga responded, hands moving fluidly as he instructed his team. One take the front, one take the back, insider has the go ahead. He would clear a path for their final member inside.

Both masked shinobi disappeared and then he was moving, Byakugan activated. The insider was going in for the kill and his other team mates encountered the criminal shinobi, clearing a path for him to get inside.

Anyone not an obvious victim was cut down immediately the moment he entered. There was a room where there were several low chakra signals, all of their bodies corrupted from the drug. Scowling, he continued on, moving through the house with eerie familiarity. Most of the men inside were the people making the drug. Everyone else seemed to be the average hired thug or high end dealer. No one was spared.

The familiar chakra signal of his fourth member emerged and he shifted his vision back to normal. Knowing that time was valuable she flashed him the confirmation that the boss was dead. That was all he needed.

Finally he investigated the room with the low chakra levels and found it strangely locked. The moment he reached the door, however, he realized why. All of the signals flared and began charging towards the exit, meaning that those people must have tossed the insane ones in the room for who knew what purpose. He stood at the locked door, listening to the pounding of the occupants inside as they struggled frantically to get to him and rip him apart. Some of them he could tell were young, although most of them seemed to be adults.

He eliminated all of them. Then, he burned the house down.

"Tori," one of his subordinates who was known as 'Auru' or 'Owl' murmured. "We understand that you're our captain, but trying to spare us the –"

"Auru, it is not up for discussion," 'Tori' said and that was the end of that. He understood that he kept sparing his team the 'dirty' parts of the job, but it wasn't because he was trying to shelter them. As captain, he felt it his duty to take on the most difficult part of the mission. That was _why_ he was the leader. It was what his captain had done with him and more than likely when they became captains they would do the same thing. The Hyuuga knew it was being brought up because his team mates worried for him. They liked working under him, but he hadn't been in ANBU for almost eight years to crack now.

They returned that night and he delivered his report. It was around eleven at night by the time he found himself returning to his apartment, still in uniform. A shower. He needed a shower and he needed to meditate. He felt like hell.

The moment he landed on the outside floor of his apartment complex he felt eyes on him. Frowning, he looked down and started. It was Uchiha, his arm still in a sling but the bandages around his eye had been replaced by a black cover that went around his head and sloped down along the upper half of his cheek and back around. It looked much better than any normal eye patch he had seen on people. The man was definitely staring up at him. He obviously had seen him land just a moment ago. He had a few bags in his free hand that looked as if it were carrying food or some other type of goods.

Their gazes locked for only a moment before the other man looked away first, heading up the stairs to Neji's surprise. Uchiha lived in this apartment complex? For some reason he remained standing there, watching the man as he silently kept climbing. Neji's apartment was on the top floor so when the raven haired man didn't stop at the second to last set of apartments he began to wonder if perhaps Sasuke was going to confront or talk to him. It made him feel apprehensive; he wasn't entirely sure of what to do or say. His thoughts were still disoriented when it came to him.

Two doors down from his own apartment the other man turned to face the door, unlocking it. He did not turn his gaze to him.

He found himself reacting. "Uchiha," he began and then immediately realized his folly when the man stiffened for just a moment before walking inside, closing the door behind him. With a small, frustrated sigh he went into his own apartment, his thoughts and emotions all over the place. Neji felt himself desiring to get closer to the amnesiac, if only to be a friend. He wasn't sure why but he realized that if it was going to happen he'd have to be the one to initiate anything. That was fine. He already had an idea.

xxxxx

This guy…was really annoying.

_This_ was the guy that ran the village? This blonde haired blue eyed_ idiot_? Sasuke was sure even in his past he had never met a leader so outlandish and wild. The other man was extremely energetic and upbeat, to the point of ridiculousness.

And if he called him a 'bastard' one more time he was definitely going to hit him. He didn't care if he was the damn Hokage. He didn't even like violence but for some reason this person seemed to bring out a different side of him and the Uchiha was positive it wasn't a good one.

"So, I heard Sakura-chan's been helping you out with ninja concepts and stuff." The man had his hands behind his head as they walked along the empty streets of the village. It was rather early and the man was taking him to the training grounds. Apparently, from what he knew of it, the Hokage had once been a close friend of his and now the man wanted to personally train him and get him back 'up to snuff'.

"Yes," he answered warily, giving the orange-clad man a look. Two weeks had already gone by and he still didn't like this person. He wasn't even sure why. While the training was good – although the Hokage constantly kept forgetting that he was dealing with an injured man, to Sasuke's detriment – he found himself wanting on a constant basis to tell the guy to shove off. If they had been such good friends why did he feel so irritated around him?

"Your wife has lent me some of her books as well. She's very knowledgeable." Sasuke pointedly ignored the small flash of sadness in the man's blue eyes when he addressed his 'old team mate' in such an unfamiliar manner. Well, he _didn't_ know Sakura, not enough to want to be on a first name basis with her.

The only person he was 'comfortable' being around in the village was Kakashi and the man thankfully didn't try to crowd him. People were constantly at his door trying to pull him to this place or that in an attempt to get him to 'remember something' even though everyone knew good and damn well that his memories had been erased. They weren't coming back. Ever. If they weren't trying to do that Sakura or the Hokage kept trying to drag him along everywhere to 'interact' with people he used to know. After five minutes he would feel so uncomfortable that he'd have to politely excuse himself and leave.

Then there were the ones that tried to reminisce with him, telling him about things that he had done or said which felt disorienting as hell. The person they remembered was not him. Whoever his past self had been, it was someone he couldn't identify with at all. This made the conversations awkward because they were apparently talking about him yet he felt as if they were talking about some other guy named Uchiha Sasuke and it was just weird.

And the 'fangirls'. Strange women who hadn't even known his past self would crowd him and try to flirt or – to his horror – seduce him and he had basically taken to running whenever he saw a group of females now. He was actually fairly terrified of the females in the village and he really didn't want much to do with them. Besides that there was, unfortunately, only one person he was interested in and he was trying very hard to forget the man even existed.

"Okay," the Hokage's voice thankfully brought him out of his thoughts. The last person he wanted to think about was _him._ "Well, Sakura-chan says that if I try to teach you taijutsu again before your arm is healed she'll kill me so she told me to have you work on chakra control and maybe weapons training or something." The blonde shrugged. "I told her you don't always need your arms to do taijutsu but she wasn't trying to hear that." He muttered the last bit.

The Uchiha felt his eyebrow twitch. "You're such an idiot" he blurted it out and realized that it was a 'personality quirk' that had emerged. It happened rather often depending on who he was around.

The Hokage exploded, grabbing him by the collar, angry. "Who are you callin' an idiot, you bastard?" he demanded and Sasuke found his irritation rising and once again began to react without thinking.

"You, idiot," he snapped, grabbing the other man's arm with his good hand "What sort of _loser_ tries to teach taijutsu to a guy in a sling anyway?"

Naruto shook him a few times "Oh yeah? Well just you wait. Once you're out of that sling I'll teach you some real taijutsu! Then I'll kick your ass!"

The Uchiha snorted and tilted his head. "Tch. Don't be stupid, you wouldn't even be able to tou –" suddenly he blinked, coming back to his senses. What had _that_ been? It had felt different; he had felt different. Confident, even somewhat cocky. The brunette began to feel very confused and uncomfortable. The Hokage seemed to realize for he let him go and took a step back.

"You okay, Sasuke?"

He didn't answer him at first but he did look at him, taking in the other man's genuinely worried expression. The brunette didn't enjoy these little outbursts. It made him feel as if he had a split personality and he didn't really like the 'other' half of himself.

"Yes, I'm fine." It was a lie. He felt awful and a bit sick to his stomach. Despite the discomfort from the outburst he began to understand a bit about how his relationship had been with the Hokage. The blonde's reaction had been too automatic, as if they had done it a million times before.

"Rivals," he concluded, ignoring the curious blink the other man gave him "We were…rivals."

A huge grin split a tanned face and he slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Yup! The two of us, it had been like that from the beginning." Blue eyes warmed with memory. "Back then I wasn't much of a shinobi, but everyone called you a genius, and it really made me mad at first. Then, it was like a challenge. Train hard, not just to become Hokage but to get you to acknowledge me as an equal."

Sasuke found himself returning the smile slightly "Did I? Ever acknowledge you as an equal?" he was curious. He was beginning to understand why Kakashi had told him that this man cared about him a lot.  
The grin faded a bit and sadness emerged. "Yeah." It was said solemnly and the Uchiha all of a sudden didn't want to know any more.

"I'm sorry." He wanted to go home. Being around these people hurt. It hurt because the more he learned about himself the more he hated that person and yet…it had been him. He had done and said those things and no amount of memory loss would take that back, not from them anyway.

The hand on his shoulder moved back and forth a few times, catching his attention. "Hey, Sasuke," Naruto paused, trying to think of how to word himself. "There were…reasons you were the way you were, you know? In the beginning, you didn't want people to get close to you because of those reasons. But you know, when you did allow people to get close you were a pretty awesome guy. When we weren't fighting and working together, we made an awesome team."

His smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah."

Blue eyes squinted as he tried to think of a way to lighten up the atmosphere. After a moment his face lit up. "Hey, it's only an hour or so till lunch. Wanna go get some ramen? I haven't taken you to Ichiraku's and that's like, a crime or something. They have the best ramen ever. You'll really like it."

This time his smile was a bit more genuine and he found that he didn't find the other man so annoying anymore. "Sure, I'll try it."

Those seemed to be the magic words for before he knew it the Hokage had damn near made it to the other side of the road before realizing that he had left his 'friend' behind. Instead of coming back he began to wave at him. "Oy! Hurry up!" Once again a dark eyebrow twitched.

_I take it back, he's definitely annoying._

The place wasn't too far and it was already open. The owner seemed to be a man in his fifties and his daughter who looked in her late twenties to early thirties. They, of course, knew Naruto and greeted him accordingly. When they saw him, however, their gazes changed.

So many emotions drifted on their faces. Shock, wariness, perhaps even anger. It made him freeze on the spot and he could do nothing more than stare as he saw the Hokage quickly explain what was going on. That he wasn't 'the same as before' and how he had amnesia. Once more the wary gazes shifted back to him and he could see them now trying to force a pleasant expression on their faces…and then the pity.

_Not the same as before? So then who was I to have these people look at me like that? Like I was some sort of…_

"I'm actually not feeling very hungry." He shifted his gaze from the mother and father, not wanting to look at them any longer. The blonde's eyes widened to epic proportions.

"Eh? What do you mean you're not hungry? It's ramen man! There's always room for ramen!"

The Uchiha gave him smile despite his discomfort. "Sorry, maybe next time, okay? I'm not feeling so well. Excuse me."

It was a lie and all three of them had known it. He had expected Naruto to try and fight him but instead his eyes had seemed…understanding. Putting his hands in his pockets – a habit he had picked up that felt very comfortable and so he continued to do it – he began to head back to his apartment.

This was the first time he had ever been out in the village during a busy time. Usually he came out at night and so far his food had been purchased by Sakura for him to go pick up later. Other than that he normally stayed in his apartment, reading.

Everyone knew him. There was not a person who looked at him that didn't seem to recognize his face and none of the looks were good. A mother had actually snatched her son away when she had seen him walking by and he kept his face expressionless even though the hard stares bothered him a lot.

"Traitor." It took a lot for him not to react to the insult. Instead he remained silent and continued to walk steadily back to his apartment.

"Murderer."

This time he did stop and he couldn't help the small amount of shock that emerged before he forced himself to look bland once more. When he stopped he noticed how a few people had recoiled slightly in fear.

Traitor. Murderer. Was that him? He didn't think they were lying. Ever since he had come to this village, the fact that he had held a rather terrible past had been made very apparent to him. It would also make sense as to why none of his 'friends' wished to tell him the truth.

_I…I don't want to stay in this place._

He didn't want to be in this village anymore. Nothing felt right or comfortable and he couldn't do this. There was no way he could continue to walk down these streets on a daily basis with hateful and accusing eyes on him constantly. Murderer. Did that mean that perhaps he had killed some of these people's loved ones? Had he done it in cold blood or…

The next thing he knew he was up on a rooftop, running. He wasn't entirely sure how he got there but he didn't really care at the moment because he couldn't feel the eyes on him any longer. As far as he knew of it his life started only two weeks ago. For him there was nothing prior to that besides pain and that man with the snake eyes.

That man…he haunted his dreams on a nightly basis and was the reason he would feel ill in the mornings after awakening. Every time he dreamed of that man there was pain, unbearable pain and agony.

_Since I'm a murderer and a traitor maybe I deserved it…_

No. He refused to allow himself to think like that.

_Why am I alive? I turn and if it's not pity it's anger. If it's not anger it's resentment. If not resentment it's sadness. My 'friends' say that I was a good person but why does practically the _entire village_ think something else?_

Initially he had been moving automatically, not giving it any thought. When he finally reached his apartment, he began to focus and barely made it over the balcony bars to the front door. Because of his miscalculation, he ended up tumbling to the ground and for a second he lay there, his injured arm hurting like hell from him landing on it and feeling overall extremely miserable.

_Am I really wanted or…even needed here?_

A shadow moved over him and then he felt something warm on his shoulder. A hand. "Sasuke?"

He jerked away from that voice, knowing who it was. That Hyuuga person was looking at him with obvious concern. Sasuke really didn't want to see it. He really didn't want to see him or anyone for that matter. Slowly, refusing any help, he staggered to his feet. The raven haired male didn't want to be around this person, this person who seemed to be the only one or thing that made any _sense_ to him yet they were perfect strangers. All it did was remind him that he truly was alone here.

The pain in his arm was intense; he might even have to go to see Sakura about it. His leg also hurt but he ignored it and began to head to his door. "Please leave me alone," he told his 'emotional anchor', feeling frustrated and hopelessly disappointed at those words.

The other man didn't move towards him and he thought that would be it until his hand touched the door knob.

"Are you hungry?" When Neji had his attention he pointed to his door. "Hinata-sama does not have time to cook often but when she does I try to take advantage of it. She is excellent at it but I do have a little more than I need. Would you like some? I could also take a look at your leg." When Sasuke frowned the other man smiled thinly. "You're favoring your right leg and I heard you stumble," he offered in explanation.

Sasuke took this man in. His hair wasn't in that high ponytail. Instead it was tied at the ends, ending at his lower back. The robes he was wearing made him look different as well, thinner. His face was blank and those white eyes of his made it very difficult to tell what he was thinking if he was thinking anything at all.

Dark brows furrowed in confusion. "Why?" _Why do you keep trying to be friendly to me when you don't even know me?_ "I don't…want your pity." Because he realized he had made an absolute _fool_ of himself in the beginning with this man and he really didn't want to have anything to do with him if he was only being nice because he felt bad.

The Hyuuga didn't respond for a while. Instead, Sasuke could feel that the other man was analyzing him, trying to figure him out. After a moment he closed his eyes briefly and shrugged "Why not?" he countered. "And I don't pity you. I do not see you as a charity case nor am I the sort of individual to do something to soothe over my guilty conscience. If nothing else, at least have someone take a look at your leg. It will not be easy taking care of it yourself with your injury."

_I should refuse._ Maybe he should leave the village altogether. He had no idea where he'd go or what he'd do but two weeks had passed and he felt just as uneasy now as he had then. His hand rested on the door knob and he frowned. Sasuke really didn't want to make a fool out of himself again but he also believed Neji's words. The grip tightened for a moment before he sighed.

"I am a little hungry," he admitted and when he looked back at Hyuuga he found himself turning away out of embarrassment. It had been slight but the other man had smiled warmly at him and it…

_Two weeks and I still don't feel any differently about him._ He hated it. He didn't want to feel that way if it wasn't even genuine, if it was just something his mind had needed to do because of his ordeal. He should have refused.

Letting go of the door he began to stagger forward, and although he wanted to, he did not push the other man away when he moved beside him to give support. He didn't want to like the fact that he enjoyed the other's presence. He didn't want to like the way he felt when Hyuuga's arm had come around his waist and he had been pulled close. It wasn't real and he didn't want it. He didn't want those feelings.

Neji's apartment was very simple and clean and there was indeed the smell of something delicious. As the long haired male guided him to the couch he spotted a small table that held various assortments of pictures, none of the people he recognized besides the man himself. There were two very tall men with identical haircuts and outfits that made him raise an eyebrow. The Hyuuga caught it and let out a light chuckle.

"Maito Gai and Rock Lee," he explained as he helped Sasuke sit down. "My former teacher and team mate. Both of them are extremely eccentric but they are also extremely powerful." He began to walk towards a hallway. "I'll only be a moment. I'm going to get the first aid kit."

With the host gone the guest continued to look around. Behind him was the kitchen and there was a small pot sitting on the stove: the food he had mentioned earlier. His stomach grumbled slightly and he smiled a bit, leaning his head back. He had lost his appetite earlier when he had followed Naruto to Ichiraku and it seemed that it had returned with a bit of a vengeance.

There was the sound of something hitting the coffee table that had him sit back up and found Hyuuga kneeling, his face still a stoic mask. He glanced up at him briefly. "I'll need to roll up your pant leg. Do you mind?"

He did but shook his head anyway. Once again he was given a thin smile as if the man knew the truth but shifted his gaze to the injured leg. After inspecting it for a moment he reached behind him for the kit.

"There's some bruising and you scratched it up a bit but other than that you look fine. You could have Sakura look at it but if you don't you should be fine in a day or so."

He sounded professional but not unkind, unlike that Tsunade woman who had seemed very gruff and not a little intimidating. His hands didn't linger like some of the other nurses had when Sakura hadn't been around to tend to him. He cleaned the wound, put something on there that stung quite a bit and then dressed it.

"Thanks," he said appreciatively and the Hyuuga made a noncommittal grunt, pulled the man's pant leg down and began to put away his items.

Once finished putting everything away the man surprised him with his next question.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Neji asked and Sasuke looked up at him in confusion. "You were highly distraught earlier. It is up to you. I understand the need for privacy." He smiled wryly. "But despite that my cousin still will ask me, even if she knows I won't burden her with the answer."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" he scowled, at his emotional limit for the day with people. "You said you didn't know me, so what makes you any different from all of those people out there that are calling me a traitor and a murderer? You can't say you don't agree with them."

Silence. Sasuke glared up at the man, daring him to deny his claims. Neji met his gaze coolly, his expression revealing nothing.

"Uchiha Sasuke was indeed a traitor and a murderer." It was said flatly, his expression never changed. "However," he continued before Sasuke could properly react "now, Uchiha Sasuke is a man without a past who can only look to the future. He is no longer a traitor and a murderer. Now, he's a man simply trying to figure out how to live. I do not associate one with the other because they are truly not the same person. So, to answer your question: why not?" 


	4. Chapter 4

4

xxxxx

_"Why not?"_

To say that he understood this man would be a far stretch. Hyuuga Neji was an enigma to him; he couldn't figure out his angle. Was that truly all there was to it? He wanted to be nice 'just because'? Since he had awakened no one had done anything for him 'just because'.

There was always a reason, be it pity or attempts to have him remember something that had been erased so that they could have 'that person' back. That person who was a traitor and a murderer. That person who had driven fear, anger, and hatred into the villagers. Why?

_I don't want to be that person…I don't want to be him._ _That's not…he's not me._

"Sasuke." Neji waited until he had Uchiha's full attention. "I am being nice to you because you are who you are now, not because of who you were. If possible, I would like to befriend _you_, not the person who came before you. You are not that person, you will never be that person again and I do not wish to treat you as such."

That was the first time he had heard those words and the person had actually meant them. He had been told from the beginning that he'd never be that person again, yet everyone who knew him kept trying to 'bring it out' of him or try to get him to remember, hoping against the odds. What was wrong with the way he was now? He felt…unwanted, as if he wasn't good enough.

But why did those words have to come from him?

"The Hokage was going to train me today," the amnesiac began, "but then I guess an old part of me reacted to him and after talking a bit he suggested that I go to some ramen shop with him."

Obviously, this was news to Neji. "He did?" A look of annoyance emerged and he looked away, shaking his head slightly. "That fool. He was the one who specifically told us to keep your presence…" He sighed and turned his gaze back.

"No one in the village really knew of your presence meaning that none of them currently know of your condition. Considering the fact that no one has been allowed to tell you everything about your past I am sure that going through the middle of the commercial district had been troubling. It has only been two weeks; that was not something you needed to deal with right away."

"Why does everyone want me to be that person again?" he blurted out, upset. He really didn't understand it at all and it was angering, frustrating, and hurtful. "The person I was before, I've hardly heard anything good about him and on top of that he's done all of these horrible things…why do they want me to be that person? What's wrong with who I am now?"

He put a frustrated hand through his thick hair. Now that he was talking he found that he couldn't stop. This was the first time he had felt comfortable saying what was on his mind. "It's like they don't want me to exist. If I were still that person, they wouldn't look at me with pity and sadness. I wouldn't be some tragic victim that they're hoping will eventually go away so they can miraculously get 'their' Sasuke back.

"I hate it; I _hate_ being around them. All they do is make me feel even more like an outcast, like I don't belong. They tell me all of these stories about some guy I don't know and who I really don't even like…none of them have even asked me how I feel about any of it because I'm just the temporary personality until the one they really want comes back, even though that's impossible. They tell me that I can move on and start over, but how the hell can I when it's obvious that _I_ am not the one they want to move on but _that_ person?" Shaking his head he puts both hands into his hair and keeps them there, lowering his head.

"I woke up and nothing made sense to me. Two weeks later, nothing still makes sense to me and on top of that no one wants _me_ around. Why am I even here? Those people out there don't want me and my so called 'friends' don't want me either." _And I feel so completely and totally fucking alone and no one seems to give a fuck,_ he thought viciously and the Uchiha realized then how much he had been holding back all of this time. Shaking his head again he waved a dismissive hand. "Forget it. I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to dump this on you."

"This may not make sense to someone who no longer has a past," the Hyuuga began and walked over to his couch, sitting down a bit away from the other man, "but ten years ago everyone believed you to be dead." Pale eyes took in his surprised expression. "I see they didn't tell you that. We have no idea what happened to you but for ten years everyone who has ever loved you had believed that you were gone.

"Then you emerge seemingly from the dead but you now have a 'condition'. Of course, the condition has made you who you are now but all they see is a condition, and because he was their friend, they want him to recover from that condition. Not just for themselves, although that is the majority of the reason, but because people associate having a condition to something being wrong, and people always wish the best for their friends.

"The bottom line is that they aren't separating you from who you were, but that is because they cared for that person, and all of a sudden having you back is a dream come true for them. You coming back meant that they really didn't lose you and they want to pick back up from where they left off."

Almost lazily the Hyuuga turned his head to look at the man beside him. "It doesn't mean that they're right, however. In their refusal to accept that this is who you are now and that the person you were truly is never going to come back, they are being insensitive to you. They're pushing you away without realizing and because of that they will continue to be confused when you continue to distance yourself from them.

"With your situation being the way it is, they are doing more harm than good, but it is not an issue of them hating your personality. It's not a personal slight on you at all. In the end, because their friend is here physically they wish for him to return mentally because losing you before had been hard for them. Eventually they will accept it but it will probably take a long time. Your old team mates have always been very tenacious individuals."

He smirked at that. "Your best bet would be to try and find someone who did not know you well and befriend them as all they will know is who you are now, making it easier for them to accept you instead of trying to 'cure' you."

Sasuke snorted. "I don't know if you've realized, but everyone who doesn't know me hates me by default."

"Everyone?" the Hyuuga asked and he turned away from that pale gaze, understanding the implications and not feeling very comfortable. He shook his head.

"Look, finding the truth…it made me feel like a fool." His brow furrowed "I still feel like a fool." _Especially since I still feel the same way._

"You awakened with no memory in the middle of a forest with serious injuries. It wasn't an unrealistic reaction and I wasn't offended." There was something in his tone that had sounded off, as if he had wanted to say something else but had refrained.

"And afterwards?" He shook his head again, sitting back. "I had been so absolutely certain only to be told that it was something my mind made up so I could 'cope'. So not only was I wrong but those feelings I had, they're a lie too?"

Neji was quiet for a moment. "What do you believe?"

"Would it make a difference?" Sasuke countered. "It doesn't change the reality."

They sat in silence for a while and he retreated to his thoughts. Neji's words made sense but they still didn't make him feel any better about his situation. It didn't change the fact that his 'friends' weren't going to stop doing what they were doing and he would still continue to feel the way he does now, even if it was nothing personal. He got the fact that the Hyuuga was trying to offer friendship but it felt too uncomfortable because of his feelings for him. Feelings that were all in his head. They didn't really exist.

"Here."

When had Hyuuga gotten up? Confused, Sasuke looked at the plate of food being offered and then looked up at Neji whose expression was still carefully blank. "Thanks." He took the plate and the other male went back to his spot on his couch with his own.

It was some sort of curry that really was very good. It was decently spicy and he found that he liked it like that. "I think I like spicy food," He told the Hyuuga with a small smile. It was strange, knowing yourself yet not knowing anything. Food that he had apparently grown up with felt as if he had eaten it for the first time since he didn't remember. It wasn't the first discovery he had made about himself but it was the first time he had voiced it out loud.

Although a large part of him felt uncomfortable, the other half felt relaxed. Maybe it was because the other man wasn't treating him like the others. Neji seemed to be completely fine with the way he was now and didn't seem to have an interest at all in his past self. He had to admit that it felt nice. For the first time since awakening in the village, he felt validated, as if he actually did matter.

"Hinata-sama always makes mine to the side because I like it a bit spicier than everyone else's. I used to have a low tolerance for spicy food...having certain teammates tends to allow you to adjust." There was that small smile again although he wasn't looking at him. It didn't really transform the Hyuuga's features but it made him look kind. "I'm glad my tastes don't bother you."

"No, it's really good." After a moment he sighed, giving the male a lopsided smile. "Thank you for convincing me to try it…and I'm sorry for being so rude to you."

Neji shook his head. "There's nothing really to apologize for. You have been going through quite a bit and it's obvious that everyone so far has been stressing you out instead of helping you fit in. I can only imagine how you've been feeling these past two weeks and Naruto definitely didn't help things if what you're saying is true. He's a great person but a little dense at times."

"Yeah," he muttered darkly in agreement and Neji chuckled lightly at his response. Mixed feelings came over him then and he wasn't sure of what to do. A part of him wanted to become closer to the Hyuuga. The man was the only person so far who seemed to like him just the way he was. On the other hand, there were all those complicated feelings that weren't real yet wouldn't go away. He never wanted to feel like he had on that day ever again.

Little else was said for the rest of the meal, but they ate in comfortable silence, something else he hadn't been able to do around the others. Afterwards, when his host had collected their plates and was washing them, he felt that he had imposed on the man long enough and stood to leave.

"I'm going to go ahead and go," he told the long haired man. "Thanks again for the meal and…everything else." Not waiting for a response he stiffly made his way to the door, his leg not at all pleased at being used. When he reached the exit, he felt a hand grab his wrist. Confused, he turned to face Neji whose face was as impassive as ever.

"Sasuke…" Then for a moment the mask broke and the man looked slightly unsure of himself. "Just because things start off a certain way doesn't mean they have to stay that way forever. And sometimes…" he sighed. "Sometimes the heart knows better than the mind." Shifting, he opened the door for his guest so he could walk out. "Just something for you to think about. Goodnight." The door closed, leaving the fallen avenger very confused.

xxxxx

"Eh?" Naruto's voice reached a rather high decibel as he took in the man in front of him and the bombshell he just dropped. And it was a huge one. "What do you _mean_ you stepped down as Kazekage, Gaara? Tell me you're kidding!" This was horrible. He wished he had known this sooner. Now what was he going to do? He had hoped for Suna's backing concerning Sasuke and now he'd have to deal with some old man more than likely. "Couldn't you have picked a better time?"

The redhead in question's gaze remained perfectly blank. "I have been Kazekage for over ten years," he told his old friend. "I love my village and I love my people and perhaps one day I will become Kazekage once more. My reasons are more personal than anything. Both Temari and Kankuro encouraged me to take this path."

There was a brief pause. "As for the timing, when I had received word concerning your situation with Uchiha Sasuke all of the preparations had been made, but I did speak to the new Kazekage before my departure. She informed me that she would support Konoha's desire to pardon Uchiha and to allow him to live within the village peacefully." His smile was thin. "I am actually here to serve as ambassador while you approach the other nations with this situation."

He still couldn't believe what he was hearing. Well, at least it wasn't some old guy. "Yeah but still…" Blue and green eyes shift to the door to the Hokage's office as a woman with long dark purple hair and pale lavender eyes entered the room, said eyes widening slightly at what she was seeing.

"Naruto-kun?" The Hyuuga head looked confused. "I'm sorry. You told me to meet you at this time but I didn't meant to interrupt –"

"Hinata!" Naruto was up and out of his chair, rushing over to his friend, grabbing her shoulders. "Tell this guy here that he can't just quit being Kazekage! He's the best one they've had!"

It was very obvious that Hyuuga Hinata was confused by this turn of events as she looked over at Gaara who was watching them impassively. "N-Naruto-kun?" She looked back at the Hokage. "Are you just…now receiving word about that? The official notification concerning Gaara-sama stepping down came in to all the clan heads two days ago."

The look on the blonde's face spoke volumes, making Hinata give him a soft smile before sighing slightly.

"It did?" he turned to Gaara. "It did?"

Green eyes blinked. "I was unsure if perhaps the message had been delayed but yes, notification had been sent out earlier this week."

"Yeah but…" The Hokage looked dejected as Hinata walked over to the huge pile of papers and scrolls. After a second she pulled out a small red scroll from the bottom of the stack with a small giggle.

"Naruto-kun," she raised her hand, hiding her smile behind her kimono sleeve. "It's right here." Once her expression shifted to one of calm – although her eyes were shining with amusement – she lowered her hand, walking over and handing it over to him. "I'm sure with Uchiha-san's sudden arrival you must have simply been distracted. You two were very close and it has been ten years."

This got her a slightly odd look from Gaara and she gave him a demure smile in response. Briefly, she noted the small glint of suspicion in the man's eyes before it shifted to light amusement at her efforts to placate the Hokage.

"Eh? Your sister is the new Kazekage?" It was morning and already his brain felt overloaded as he took in the words.

"Temari is strong, firm, intelligent, and a natural leader. I felt that she was the best suited and the council agreed." He tilted his head slightly. "You will still have support from Suna concerning Uchiha. You do not need to worry."

"Yeah but…" Hinata patted his shoulder gently and he flashed a grateful look. "You're so nice Hinata…" He turned back to Gaara "You really don't want to be a kage anymore?"

His eyes closed briefly. "That is not exactly it. It is…difficult to explain but I did not step down because I was no longer interested in the village or being a kage." His gaze shifted back to Hinata. "Naruto, if you'd like, I could return later, I do not wish to keep Hyuuga-san."

Her hands raised and she shook her head. "Oh no. I'm not…my meeting with Naruto-kun was a personal affair so…"

Naruto's overloaded brain decided to jump on something simpler to think on. "Oh yeah, sup Hinata? What did you want to see me about anyway?"

An uneasy expression emerged and she looked at Gaara warily. "Well, I really don't want to…" 

"It is fine, Hyuuga-san," the redhead reassured her. "My visit was also of a mostly personal nature. Please, go ahead."

She gave him a 'Well, if you say so…' look before shifting her gaze to the Hokage. "I was actually wondering if you would still be able to attend Hanabi-chan's engagement party at the end of the week."

"Oh, yeah!" He shot her a huge grin "Konohamaru's been talking non-stop about how happy he is now that he's engaged to your sister. It's still a surprise right?"

"Yes." She gave him a warm smile "I know you're very busy Naruto-kun so please don't worry about –"

"Nah," he shook his head and waved a hand dismissively. "Konohamaru is like a little brother. You better believe I'm showing." He turned to Gaara. "You wanna come too?"

The other two adults stiffened in surprise. The redhead looked slightly confused. "I would not want to impose on a private affair…"

"Oh, please don't worry about that, Gaara-sama." He turned to Hinata. "If you don't mind, we would love to have you there, but I also understand that you might feel a bit uncomfortable –"

"No way!" Naruto gave Hinata and reassuring grin. "Gaara would love to go, right?"

Hinata gave the man an apologetic look and he resisted the urge to sigh. Naruto sometimes… "As long as I'm not imposing, I do not mind."

"See?" He gave Hinata the thumbs up. "That settles it then…oh hey!" He hit his fist against his hand as if remembering something. "Hinata, do you think you could show Gaara around for a bit? I mean, he's been here a ton of times but you know all of those little facts that like, no one else really knows…" 'Or cares about' was definitely implied in his tone.

"Naruto," Gaara's brows furrowed slightly. "I don't think that…"

"Hinata-chan doesn't mind!" The Hokage gave her a pat on the back. "It's cool right? Just for a little while, since it's lunch time and all. I got a meeting but after that it's ramen all the way."

If Hinata was upset she didn't show it. Instead, she looked rather amused. "I don't mind. I would be honored to show Gaara-sama around for a little while."

"Awesome! You're the best, Hinata-chan!"

The two departed the Hokage's office shortly thereafter, their meetings concluded. The two walked in comfortable silence until they left the tower, then Gaara spoke.

"I apologize, Hyuuga-san," he began. "I know as a clan head your time is rather limited."

The brunette shook her head slightly. "I don't mind." Her expression shifted to worry. "At the same time, I'm sorry that Naruto-kun made you feel as if you had to come to the engagement party. It's perfectly fine if you don't attend. I'm sure it'd be uncomfortable."

He spared her a brief glance. "I do not go back on my word." When her response was only a small smile he looked straight ahead again. "I will not take up your time, Hyuuga-san, the hotel is –"

"It's on the way to the Hyuuga estate." She smiled briefly. "Do you mind if I walk with you, since we're going the same way?"

There was a small pause. "It's fine."

As the two began to walk through the commercial district Hinata let out a small noise and stopped which made Gaara stop. She turned to him. "I was thinking…do you like yakitori?" She pointed to a small restaurant.

His expression didn't change but she noticed the slight suspicious gleam in his eyes. "I do not mind it."

"I was thinking…I am a little hungry. Would you like to have lunch with me? That is, if you don't mind, I –"

"I do not mind, Hyuuga-san." It was said softly, but it was quite obvious that the redhead knew something was up. However, she remained as pleasant as always, her smile genuine.

Once more there was silence as the two entered the quaint little building for lunch. They didn't speak at all while they ate, but the atmosphere was not unpleasant. The former Kazekage found himself curious about this woman. She was very unobtrusive and kind; there was a sort of quiet elegance about her that wasn't faked or forced.

Despite her hectic and probably stressful life being a clan head she did not look it. If anything, she looked serene. It was a somewhat different experience from dealing with the females from his land. Suna women were more outgoing and rough around the edges. This was necessary, however, because they lived in a rather harsh environment.

He had not personally dealt with the Hyuuga head too often, although he knew who she was and he had spoken to her on a few occasions when visiting Konoha. There was something about her that he couldn't quite put his finger on. It wasn't off putting. In fact, it was rather familiar and that was what bothered him most of all.

As the two walked out from the quaint little shop, Gaara had been prepared to thank her for the meal and excuse himself when he noticed a rather pensive expression on her face. She wasn't looking at him, however, but rather off in the distance. He looked in the direction she was facing but could see nothing out of the ordinary, and she did not seem to notice his scrutiny for a moment.

Blinking, she turned to him, her gaze blank as their eyes met. Briefly, he realized that while the Hyuuga were always described as having white eyes, hers seemed to be tinted with lavender. If he thought about it he supposed that their eyes were exotic; there was a slight eerie-ness to them.

The Hyuuga head smiled softly at him before she turned away again, looking thoughtful. Right as he was about to ask her if she was alright that gentle, unimposing smile re-emerged and the two of them continued their walk.

It had taken him the second location 'on the way' to his hotel that he realized what she was doing. She smiled and chatted lightly with him as she showed him special sites that he had not seen before but found them to be quite interesting and put the locations to the side in his mind for later. When he realized that she was, quite skillfully and subtly, guiding him around instead of calling her out on it initially he remained silent, listening with genuine interest as she told him little facts and stories. Since he honestly did not have anything to do for the day Gaara found himself at no inconvenience and he did not mind her company.

When she suddenly stopped he tilted his head slightly in inquiry but once again she was not looking at him but rather off in the distance. Her face was blank, but there was sadness in her eyes. Remembering what lied in that direction he found himself wanting to feel as if he were intruding in on something private and yet…her presence made one feel as if they did actually belong and were not a burden or an outsider.

It was a rather strange feeling for someone like him: to feel somewhat comfortable around someone who was practically a perfect stranger. Was that not a good thing, however? She was a Konoha shinobi, an ally and friend to a friend. The ex-Kazekage had made numerous bonds, had become close to few yet those few have impacted his life in powerful ways. There were many people precious to him. Perhaps she could become one; anyone who was a close friend of Naruto was surely someone he could become close to as well.

_Was this not what I wanted?_ he asked himself. _The freedom to travel, to have the opportunity to learn and grow through life experiences. Was that not the reason I stepped down?_

"Hyuuga-san," he took a step forward. "If you would like, I will accompany you to the memorial site."

Pale eyes flashed at him, widening in surprise. "Oh!" She shook her head, waving her hands slightly. "N-no that's not…please don't feel obligated –"

"That is not it." When she paused, looking at him in slight confusion, he turned his gaze towards the path to the memorial. "You have been subtly maneuvering our walk so that you could fulfill your word to Naruto without making me feel as if I was troubling or inconveniencing you. I do not see how this would be any different."

When he looked at her, he found himself actually smiling slightly when she blushed, realizing she had been caught. He realized then what had seemed so familiar about her. The way she handled issues was similar to his own methods. While he was more blunt and to the point, he was also never cruel or quick tempered. He presented simple logic quietly and appeared undisturbed if it was argued against. Instead he would continue to manipulate the situation subtly and logically until he was able to get the other to see reason and come to terms with what he wanted.

Hyuuga was similar, but her methods were not at all blunt. Instead of presenting one with blunt but quiet logic, she manipulated with kindness. She made the person and their ideals seem valid and valued, even if she did not agree with them. Then, slowly she would shift the situation in her favor and yet in the end one still found themselves hard pressed to be upset or resentful. Her calm and serene personality made it difficult to feel negatively.

As a political figure she was very unique and…very dangerous. It would be easy for someone arrogant to feel as if her kindness was a weakness and try to manipulate her only to fail. She was so completely different from any other diplomat he had ever encountered that he found himself respecting her a bit. To 'kill them with kindness' was an extremely difficult thing to do when one was in a position of power and she made it seem almost unintentional, making her seem innocent and deceptively weak.

Her smile turned sad. "My father…" She looked off in the distance. "Not many know that I try to visit him at least once a week, but this is also around the time when he died during the war."

He remembered hearing about that. The Hyuuga had gone without a leader for a number of years, the council running things until the heir had been suitably trained. Hyuuga Hinata had taken over the same year she became jounin at the age of twenty and had been running things flawlessly for the past five years. At least, that is what he knew of it from reports and correspondence.

"I did not interact with your father much," he began, "but I remember him being a stern but fair man. I am sorry for your loss."

Those pale eyes shined a bit with tears but not one fell. Her warm smile was genuine. "Thank you, Gaara-sama. Yes, he was very strict but…he was a great father." She shook her head slightly. "But it is quite alright, I…will admit that you were right about my attempts earlier but this is not –"

The redhead raised a hand slightly. "I understand that you are not that sort of person. I have never personally come to Konoha to pay my respects and since the path is right in front of us, now is as good of time as any, if you do not mind me joining you."

She began to analyze him and he said nothing, waiting patiently. Once more she smiled and gave him a small bow. "Thank you, Gaara-sama. I would be honored and I am sure my father would be as well."

Shifting their path to walk towards the memorial, comfortable silence once again reigned as they walked side by side, each lost in their own thoughts. The Hyuuga head was kind, gentle, considerate, quiet and unobtrusive. She was also in her own way firm. If she said she was going to do something she did it in her own subtle way. Gaara could definitely understand why she and Naruto seemed to have a close friendship and he found himself wondering if perhaps they could also become friends.

He did not speak again until they reached the memorial site. "Hyuuga-san, I am no longer a kage; you do not need to speak so formally to me."

"Hm?" She turned briefly to glance at him before giving him a small smile and a nod. "Then, I extend the same invitation, Gaara-san."

Returning her small nod no further words were said between them as they stood in front of the black stone statue quietly paying their respects and locking themselves into their own thoughts. He thought back on the events that happened today and found himself smiling briefly. Going to the engagement party now did not seem like such a bother anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

5

xxxxx

A few weeks passed before Neji's dreams began to drastically shift. Where before he had been dreaming off and on about his neighbor doing rather interesting things to him sexually; now he began to dream about children. These particular children were the ones he had ended up having to kill because of the drug that had destroyed their minds and turned them into ravenous animals. Except, instead of looking feral and manic they were instead placid, eyes dead and empty.

It had started with the first group he had ended up having to kill, their vacant eyes staring accusingly at him in some sort of dark, misty place. Night after night another child would appear in the dream and all of them would merely stand there and _stare_. There would be whispers but he was never able to make it out and he honestly didn't want to.

He would jerk awake, pale eyes wide, cold sweat trailing down his neck and back. After that sleep eluded him and he settled for cat naps instead. After a week of that the dreams began to haunt him once more even then, unnerving him. When he would try to meditate he'd see those children the moment he closed his eyes, making him unable to focus and concentrate properly.

Neji knew he needed to go and get a psych eval but it was pride and a bit of fear that kept him from doing the logical thing. Pride because he had been in ANBU for almost eight years and _now_ he was cracking? For the most part he had always been able to do his duties with a clear head and he had never allowed the missions to warp or destroy him mentally.

Fear because he had no desire to leave ANBU and if he ended up not being medically cleared he would lose his squad and his position. It wasn't that he loved it or anything, it was that he truly felt that he was making a difference, that he was truly helping the village in ways ordinary shinobi could not.

He was fine with hiding in the shadows and never being recognized for his work; none of that mattered when he knew that because of his efforts the people he cared about could sleep peacefully. To that end it didn't matter what happened to him. There were more things important to him than his life.

So instead of going to get evaluated he began to take on more solo missions on top of missions his squad was assigned to. Solider pills became his close friends and he _knew_ he was being foolish; he knew that he was doing everything he should not do in his situation yet he continued.

Neji knew he couldn't put it off forever. His squad noticed the fact that before and after a mission when the masks went off their leader looked awful. Dark rings under his eyes, his skin an unhealthy white. The fact that his uniform was becoming a little baggy on him also had not gone unnoticed but he continued to perform his missions flawlessly so no one could really complain.

His squad had not been the only ones to notice as Neji was currently on a week's worth of leave as ordered by the Hokage himself. Sasuke had commented on it once in passing before the Hyuuga began to actively ignore the other male. For some reason, out of everyone, having the Uchiha worry over him was an extremely upsetting prospect.

Not just that, having the other man see him in such a pathetic state…he refused. His feelings, if one could call them that, for the raven-haired man were complicated. The two danced around each other verbally. He wasn't even sure that he could call Sasuke 'friend', their relationship was so strained. He had no idea why he was drawn to the fallen avenger, perhaps because he wasn't really Sasuke; not anymore.

There were similarities. This Sasuke became rather frustrated and angry often although Neji felt that his frustration had more to do with the people around him than any real personality quirk. He was also not a man of many words. He spoke when he had to, but talking for the sake of talking? Not really. The amnesiac was rather adverse to touch, although, once again, that could be contributed to outside influences.

He was a little rough around the edges at times and had a rather low tolerance level…once again that could be contributed to outside influences. For the most part Sasuke was a social recluse. He didn't know anyone-didn't _want_ to know anyone—and preferred being left the hell alone over having company. He also was beginning to dislike hearing anything about his past self, which was probably why he disliked everyone at the moment.

The differences were obvious. This Sasuke was kinder and more polite although he still never used honorifics when addressing individuals. He was also a bit more emotional and paranoid due to being made to feel that he was somehow inadequate as a person. That wasn't even including the way the villagers had reacted to him. Slowly he was beginning to develop an inferiority complex which was directly caused by his 'friends' and their ignorance in dealing with him.

He was terrified of becoming too close to anyone and Neji was sure that had a lot to do with their situation at the beginning. The Uchiha had been devastated when he had awakened and learned that the person he had thought he had a connection with had been all in his mind. He had initially felt alone and that had sealed it for him.

Because nothing had changed, because his 'friends' kept trying to make him be someone he didn't even like, Sasuke kept pushing them further and further away. Because his attitude was shifting to something not quite 'Sasuke-ish', they tried even harder to try and get him to 'remember' which only made the Uchiha resent them more.

Although the two of them were not on hostile terms, the few times that they had spent together had only happened because the Hyuuga had pursued it. When he began to avoid Uchiha, it had been amazingly simple. The man didn't want Neji around anyway, it seemed.

Although it somewhat upset Neji that this new Sasuke's personality was beginning to become rather dark and moody due to his situation, he had found himself wanting to be around him more. Neji liked hearing the pleased tone in the other man's voice whenever he discovered something about himself. He liked it when the other man smiled. The few times they had spent together he had learned that Sasuke was actually a rather cheerful and warm person; his outward attitude towards everyone else was due to anger and frustration.

Even though nothing romantic ever happened between them it had still been a pleasant experience having him around, listening to him talk about the things he was learning and his feelings on things. He liked Sasuke, as a friend and more. Avoiding him, while easy in practice, was not so much emotionally.

Not seeing him for the past few weeks had affected him more than he thought it would and Neji did think of him often when not dealing with his other issues. Although he had been intimate with the same sex before he'd never actually had a 'lover'; that also applied to opposite sex as well.

In ANBU, relationships were not recommended for obvious reasons. It was easier to find a companion for a night and move on. If the person was there when you got back and you were in the mood you would have a repeat of your previous romp and then usually both parties would part ways.

He did like Sasuke but Neji knew if he involved himself with the man he would have to consider it a serious relationship. Almost two months had passed since Uchiha awakened and he knew Sasuke's feelings for him hadn't changed, his attitude clearly showed it. A fling would be unacceptable and he didn't want that anyway.

So he was slowly going crazy and growing feelings for a man he _never_ thought he'd be involved with outside of them beating each other to death. Wonderful.

Lying on his bed Neji stared blankly at the ceiling as his room took on a soft glow from the early morning sun. Another sleepless night. With a sigh he slid out of bed, his body feeling very heavy and drained. A week off of missions… what on earth was he going to do? He couldn't sleep and he was being rather stubborn about going to get evaluated. Do some extra training perhaps? Read? Neji would have liked to have gone to see his cousin but Hinata was apparently going to be housing an ambassador from Suna in regards to the Uchiha situation in a day or so.

The only thing Neji knew or understood was that Konoha and Suna were going back and forth to get the other nations on board. It seemed that some of them were still being rather difficult about the terms and conditions concerning Sasuke.

Still musing over what he was going to do for the next seven days he all but stumbled into his bathroom and turned the shower water on. While he was waiting for the water to get warm he washed his face and brushed his teeth, his gaze dull and impassive. It had taken him a moment to realize that something was off after her rinsed out his mouth.

_I am not alone._

Activating his Byakugan his senses flared out yet he saw nothing out of the ordinary. His room was clear. It was when he deactivated his blood line limit that he all but started shouting at the image in his mirror. In the back, near his window, stood two children, the same ones from his dreams; same vacant faces.

Blanching, he turned and sure enough they were standing there, _staring_ at him. Now he could make out the whispers where he couldn't before in the dream. Staggering back towards the exit he forced his mind to accept a few facts. One, those children weren't actually standing there. He was hallucinating from fatigue. Secondly, his mind was making up the voices and he needed to calm down and stop panicking.

He felt extremely ill. They didn't move but their heads followed in the direction that he moved and panic rose. He left his room, slamming the door closed, chest heaving at the disturbing image that _looked_ so real even though he knew that all of it was something his mind was making up.

_"Murderer._"

The whispers were now crystal clear, murmurs of 'murderer' or soft questions as to why he had to kill them filling his mind and he realized that he was truly and honestly beginning to go insane. Once more he turned, facing his living room before starting, his pale eyes growing as wide as saucers. All of them were there, standing off towards the back but _there_ nonetheless. Slowly, they all raised their arms and pointed their fingers at him.

_"Murderer._"

Neji fled.

xxxxx

It wasn't until he had reached his door that the door to his neighbor's apartment was wrenched open and a brown blur slammed itself against the banister. It took Sasuke a moment to realize that it actually _was_ Neji that had flown out of his apartment like a bat out of hell.

The man was sweating profusely, his face was extremely pale and he was visibly shaking. Brown hair was everywhere and he was clad only in a pair of thin night pants. His gaze was unfocused and his breathing was highly irregular. He was terrified. The Uchiha had never seen anyone look so haunted…

No, wait. He has.

Setting the bag of groceries he had picked up from Sakura down by his door, he took a few steps forward, but it seemed that Neji either was ignoring him or didn't even realize he was there in the first place. "Neji." It was said softly but loud enough to be heard.

The man didn't move. His hands remained locked on the banister in a white knuckled grip, pale eyes wide, as if he'd just seen a ghost. Taking another small step forward he moved to gently place a hand on the other man's shoulder.

The moment his hand settled the long haired man actually lashed out at him. "Don't touch me!" Byakugan activated his eyes were wild as he attacked. Instinct kicked in and with skill Sasuke didn't know he had his hands snapped over each one of Neji's wrists, his grip hard.

White eyes narrowed for only a second before confusion emerged. The veins surrounding his eyes disappeared and his brows furrowed. "Sasuke?" He sounded very disoriented.

The Uchiha did not release his grip, unsure about whether or not Neji would attack again. "Yeah." He paused for a moment. "Nightmares?"

"What?" The Hyuuga looked stunned by the accurate observation and Sasuke could tell that the other man was beginning to calm down. Still, he kept his grip on Neji's wrists. "How did you…"

"The look in your eyes." His expression was carefully blank. "You look the same way I do every morning." It never failed, his nightmares. Images of that snake-looking man, lights, the sensation of extreme pain, laughter.

_"You know what's so beautiful about this Sasuke-kun? Everyone thinks we're dead. I can do whatever I like for however long I like…and there's a lot of research I want to do on you and those eyes of yours…"_

He almost didn't react fast enough when Neji's legs gave out, forcing him to let go of the Hyuuga's wrists to catch him properly. With a grunt, he got the other male in a somewhat standing position and winced slightly when he felt the heat coming from Neji's bandaged forehead as he rested it along the crook of his neck.

"You've got a fever Neji. Let's get you back into your apartment and I'll get Sakura to –" He stopped short when hands latched onto the back of his shirt and he could feel the other man lightly shaking his head.

"I can't go back in there…" It was little more than a whisper and Sasuke shifted to get a better grip on the practically slack Hyuuga. "They're there. I'm actually hallucinating them and I can't…I can't go in there." His voice was low but shaky, unsure. Seeing the normally strong and stoic-looking Hyuuga like this was…upsetting.

Sasuke wasn't entirely sure who 'them' was but once again he shifted. "Alright, you can rest on my bed while I go get Sakura to take a look at you…" Once more, he was cut off when the other male's grip on him tightened and he shook his head. Maybe he should take him to the hospital instead; obviously, something was very wrong. Still keeping a solid grip, he began to gently stroke the other man's head in a soothing motion. It seemed to help slightly, but he was still very tense.

"Sasuke, listen." He was still shaky but thankfully steadied his legs making holding him up easier. A choked sound emerged from Sasuke's throat when the Hyuuga all but flattened his feverish body against his, arms tightening around him. "I know and understand that what's in my apartment is all in my head and I know getting to Sakura is the right thing to do…" Trailing off, Sasuke resisted a shudder when he felt hot lips along his neck. "Stay with me for a while, Sasuke. Just…don't leave me right now."

It wasn't like he didn't understand. He did. While he didn't hallucinate, the Uchiha's dreams were anything but pleasant. Even though he had never craved for another's company after awakening, he realized while standing there holding the Hyuuga that he wouldn't have minded. With a small sigh he began to shift, wrapping one of Neji's arms around his neck while his went around the man's slender waist.

"Alright. You can stay at the apartment with me for now." A small, shaky nod was his only response from the other man and the Uchiha frowned thoughtfully. Neji was not a man who became distressed easily; he always kept a calm and level head about him. Whatever it was had to have been going on for a rather long time on top of being rather devastating.

_I know what haunts my dreams at night; what haunts yours?_

Leading his neighbor to his couch Sasuke frowned when the man slumped along the edge, his once pale face now tinted red with fever, breathing quick and shallow. Long hair was splayed everywhere and it actually made him physically look different, almost feminine. With a small sigh he turned to go put his groceries away when a hand grabbed his wrist in a surprisingly strong grip. His dark eye flickered down to the man and started.

Pale eyes looked slightly unfocused and his brows were furrowed. Neji was visibly sweating now from his fever, grip tightening as he struggled to keep his breaths low and even. His expression was pleading, as if through look alone he could get Sasuke to understand what he was trying to say and how he was feeling. It was shocking to see such raw emotion on the normally stoic Hyuuga's face.

"Neji." He had to put the groceries up; it wasn't as if he was going far. "I'll just be a –"

The grip slackened and the older man's head dipped down. "Stay with me." It was said very quietly and had it not been as silent in the room as it was the amnesiac wouldn't have caught it. Still frowning, he slowly put down the bag when the grip on his wrist dropped. He couldn't even feel uneasy at the moment, not when the man obviously truly needed someone to be there for him.

_There's that and then…_

Sitting down close to his guest he gently pulled Neji up, not moving when an arm wrapped around his neck and a hand clenched his shirt tightly. Keeping his face blank he wrapped an arm around the thinner male, leaning his head back as Neji rested along his chest, face burning.

There was that and then the fact that he still felt as in love with this man now as he had that night and he still hated it. Estrangement was fine with him; friendship was okay, he supposed. Anything beyond that made him feel like a huge idiot.

The embarrassment and humiliation he had felt then was hard for him to shake off and while he realized that obviously Neji did not wish for them to be strangers he just…it was becoming more and more difficult to want to trust others. Being around the Hyuuga felt good, a little too good for comfort. Sasuke would find himself relaxing, opening up more. He felt that he could be himself around Neji, the parts that he was developing in any case.

Neji began to shiver a little more and Sasuke rubbed a hand up and down his arm in an attempt to warm and soothe. It helped a little but he was still worried. He really should just drag the man over to Sakura's so he could be treated properly, but Neji would fight him, and he didn't want to go through that. He could only hope that the man's fever would break on its own. He let out a small breath and tilted his head slightly to look down at long brown hair.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours?" At this the Hyuuga raised his head, pale eyes slightly unfocused looking confused. "Your nightmares." He elaborated. "Trust me, I understand what you're going through. Maybe talking about it will help."

Shaking his head lightly Neji buried his face back into Sasuke's chest. "I have inconvenienced you enough today…which I am sorry for. I know how uncomfortable you are around me."

Under normal circumstances that was true. This was different. "That's not really important right now and you're not inconveniencing me. I let you come in here. I could have just dragged you to the hospital."

There was a soft, humorless chuckle at that "Yes, I suppose you could have."

Why did he feel like a bastard at the almost defeated tone in his guest's voice? "I learned from Sakura that the person in my dreams is named Yakushi Kabuto," Sasuke began, deciding he'd go first. Even if Neji told him nothing it was fine; the Hyuuga had been going out of his way to treat him kindly and show him that at the very least he could have one friend if he so desired. Why not open up and return the favor just this once?

"The nightmares I have are usually very dark, as if I'm underground. I can never move because I'm always bound, stuck to some sort of table. I don't know if they're dreams or memories to be honest. They're always different in certain ways."

His guest stirred against his chest, his breathing evening out a bit more now. "Kabuto was…" he sounded slightly out of breath, "Orochimaru's, right hand. He was extremely skilled in the medical field and he was not a man that looked powerful, although he eventually became so. Orochimaru had been a man heavy on experimenting to learn new jutsus, usually on people. During the war, it became very clear that Kabuto was trying to follow in his former master's footsteps although perhaps for different reasons. Orochimaru had a lot of underground labs. Your dreams could very well be memories."

Sasuke almost smiled, it seemed that talking truly was helping Neji to calm down just a bit. "Yes. I was told a bit about Orochimaru and how I had gone to him for power."

There was silence for a moment. "Just for power? They did not give you a reason beyond that?"

"No, and I didn't expect one. They tell me what they want to tell me." It was said flatly with a hint of annoyance. "In any case, the dreams are always extremely painful for various reasons. Sometimes there's a machine hooked up to my body, sometimes he's…" There is a small pause. "I don't even think you can call it 'surgery' so much as 'dissecting'."

Head rising once more Neji's eyes widen, clearly shocked. Even with his fever he had blanched. "H-he what?"

His body began to tense. "If I go by the dreams and the scars he's only done it a couple of times. He would always make sure I was awake but paralyzed. Note that I said _paralyzed_ and not numbed. I…I think he did it because he wanted to see what I would do although that doesn't make any sense." Sasuke's voice faltered and he fought not to sound too upset, not wanting to worry the feverish person all but snuggling up to him. Those particular dreams were a bit more rough on him emotionally because his mind apparently remembered the pain and transferred it to his dream.

His guest looked appalled just before he hesitated. Neji had an inner battle as to whether or not he would ask the Uchiha to show him; that much was obvious on the man's face. He didn't.

That was the first time he had told anyone his dreams. He found that talking about it dredged up the painful memories that were slowly coming back to him and he fought to keep himself calm. He had not even told Tsunade about the scars and she had definitely asked more than once. "The most painful ones are when he's doing something to my eyes." With his free hand he brushed over the black cloth covering his unseeing eye.

"I don't know exactly what he was doing, I just know that he'd hook me up to this machine and then he would cover my eyes with a cloth holding strange symbols on it. There'd be pressure and then…" Pain. Agonizing, unbearable pain. "He's always taunting me when he does these things although I can never make out what he's saying." This was becoming more difficult the more he talked about it. Neji picked up on it for when Sasuke opened his mouth to continue he was cut off.

"Please don't push yourself." Although his head did not rise the Uchiha felt warmth along his cheek from Neji's hand. Briefly he closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of the other man's touch, even though he knew he shouldn't. When Sasuke remained silent the Hyuuga spoke up again. "What do you know about ANBU?"

Not much. "I know it stands for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai, or the Special Assassination and Tactical Squad. They take on top secret missions and are handpicked by the Hokage. They all wear a standard uniform with porcelain masks. I realized that you were in ANBU when they told me about it."

"That is a very basic definition but correct nonetheless." He let out a shaky breath and Sasuke found himself instinctively pulling the other man closer. "I am captain of a squad, a position that one earns through hard work and skill. I have been in ANBU for a good number of years. I have done and seen questionable things for the sake of the village. Up until now there has never been a problem. I've trained myself to 'lock away' memories, only to bring them up if requested. It is something one should do if they wish to remain sane. It is not a glorious job but it is vitally important to the safety and wellbeing of the village."

Another shaky breath, "I cannot tell you the details but due to unfortunate circumstances concerning a particularly lengthy mission I had to kill exactly twenty three certain individuals…none of them over the age of twelve or thirteen. It's not…" When Sasuke's grip tightened he seemed to relax slightly. "They weren't shinobi, Sasuke, they were just a bunch of kids that had been taken and driven to insanity. Many of them were orphans, kids that wouldn't be missed.

"I refused to let my squad handle it. Whenever we had to encounter them while on the tail of our target, I eliminated them. These children could not be saved. I have tried meditation and blocking it out but for some reason I've been unable to and I admit that it is…getting to me. I have been unable to sleep;" he sighed "well between the initial dreams I had of you for a time and then these I have become a virtual insomniac to the point where I am now hallucinating. That is…that is why you saw me in such a pathetic state not even an hour ago."

_Dreams of me?_ He decided he wasn't going to touch that one just yet. "Why did you prevent your team mates from assisting you?" There wasn't much he could say on the children. It was unfortunate but if they couldn't have been saved death was a much better option than depraved insanity. Although he could find no fault with Neji at the same time he hadn't been the one swinging the blade.

The long haired man tensed underneath him. "I'm a captain for a _reason_; my team doesn't need to deal with something like that when I can take care of it."

"You mean you didn't want them to end up like how you are now," Sasuke countered, keeping his face blank.

Neji smiled wryly. "Yes, in retrospect that is absolutely correct."

There was silence for a long while, Sasuke keeping his arm around the feverish Hyuuga while the other man clung onto him like a lifeline. There was a connection between them; the Uchiha truly felt that at this point. Although they had not truly been lovers initially it seemed that they were growing close anyway and Sasuke wasn't stupid. Neji had all but made it clear that he wouldn't mind something more but was certainly content to merely being his friend.

Right now Neji needed a friend. They both did, really.

"You're going to have to get help, you know that." It wasn't a question. "You need to get over this, maybe even take a break from ANBU for a while –"

"And do what?" There was a harsh chuckle. "Hang out with friends? I don't exactly have a lot of those. Tenten and Lee have their lives and their missions. With both of them being jounin we barely see each other anymore. I suppose I could go hole myself up at the Hyuuga estate but then I'd just feel as if I was in the way and to be honest I actually don't like living there."

This wasn't productive. It would be better to discuss things like that after Hyuuga got a good amount of sleep and calmed down. "Look, let's get you to bed. I have some sleeping pills that help every now and then with the nightmares. Maybe it'll help you." There was no answer forthcoming so Sasuke put his arm around Neji once more, standing. Like on the couch, Neji clung to him, but when the Uchiha moved to guide them to his bedroom, the other male didn't move initially. "Neji?"

"Sasuke," his voice was soft and low. "When I think about what you've potentially gone through and what I'm going through…I've told you this much right? You're the first person." There was a small pause. "I know when we first met it was under strained circumstances…"

Now wasn't the time for this. "Neji –"

"Ever since that night I have been unable to stop thinking about you." It was said quickly and the Uchiha stood there, slightly stunned. Since that night…? "I have dreamt of you and I find myself _wanting_ to be a part of your life…I have never wanted to do something like that with anyone."

Still clutching onto his shirt Neji stood to his full height which was only an inch or so shorter than Sasuke. White met black and the raven haired male's expression turned downcast. He wasn't sure if he could trust Neji. So far he had been unable to truly trust anyone and had been feeling so alone. He was tired of feeling that way but at the same time he was just not comfortable with this village or its people.

Neji was the only person he had opened up to since he'd been here and now there's the knowledge that even though they had never been lovers, they were being pulled together towards that path. Sasuke was in love with Neji, he had been since he had laid eyes on him. As much as he wanted to believe it was the 'emotional anchor' issue almost two months had gone by and the feeling wasn't fading, even when he had gone out of his way to avoid the other man or vice versa.

"Let's talk about it later." This time when he shifted Neji moved with him. "We'll talk once your fever breaks. Until then, you need some sleep."

It'd give him enough time to go over everything in his head and figure out what he wanted to do or how he wanted to be involved with this man. But first's things first, getting him to bed, then talk in the morning and go from there. 


	6. Chapter 6

6

xxxxx

"I sent a team up to investigate any nearby labs like you requested," Mitarashi Anko began, her expression very serious and grim. Four sets of eyes were focused on her. "We did find a destroyed lab but it was mostly just the surface. After we dug through we found…" She looked over to the two powerful medic nins. "You sure you wanna hear this? Kakashi knows what's going on but…"

"We're always going to have to keep a medical eye on Uchiha just in case," Tsunade reasoned. "That kid has surgical scars and I know he knows how he got them, he just refuses to tell us. We need to know everything."

"Hm?" The silver haired jounin tilted his head slightly. "Surgical scars? So he's possibly missing internal organs or has been altered?"

With a small sigh Sakura stepped forward. "No it's…nothing has been removed from Sasuke-kun but the incisions are in…very strategic places. There's also some unusual scarring, as if he had been connected to something mechanical and for a long time."

Light brown eyes flickered over to the Hokage as they all stood in his office. "So? What's it going to be?"

Naruto's expression matched Anko's. "It's cool. Tell us what you found."

"Well, the first thing I want to point out is that we were unable to locate Kabuto's body." She shrugged. "I know Uchiha claims that he saw the guy's corpse, but it wasn't that easy to kill Orochimaru, so I wouldn't be surprised if Kabuto is actually still alive."

This was not pleasing news. "You think he'll try to grab Sasuke again?" the Hokage wanted to know. If Kabuto thought he was going to snatch up his friend again for whatever sick reasons the guy had another thing coming. Although his old friend refused to speak about his nightmares and the few choppy memories that had emerged, all the medical reports suggested that the Uchiha had all but been tortured and screwed with for an entire decade.

If he _ever_ laid eyes on Yakushi Kabuto again he'd make him regret even having contemplated harming Sasuke like that. Once Naruto found proof of the former spy's existence, he was going to put the word out to anyone and everyone. No more disappearing acts.

"I'd definitely keep a few ANBU on his tail," Kakashi came in, looking rather bored. "We have to suspect that if Kabuto can't get to Sasuke he'll have Sasuke come to him one way or another."

"There's a lot of forbidden jutsus out there that deal with human manipulation," Anko continued. "Ten years of fucking with the Uchiha, I'm pretty sure Kabuto's got something on the kid in case he ever lost him."

"Alright…." Naruto frowned thoughtfully. "No matter what we can't let that happen, not only because it's Sasuke but also because the other nations will have a fit. Until we can get confirmation on Kabuto's status, I'll set up a special squad specifically to protect and keep track of Sasuke. I'm gonna need a list drafted up of potential ANBU recruits to fill in the gap; I'm pulling from a few squads for this."

Kakashi nodded once. "I can do that. I'll have the list to you by tomorrow."

"That's not really the biggest news." Anko gave the Hokage a stern look. "You're _not_ going to like this, kid. What I'm about to tell you is some serious shit." She looked over at Tsunade. "You'll probably have to get your people personally involved."

Tension in the room rose exponentially. "Go ahead. We gotta learn sooner or later." The Hokage did _not_ look happy and no one in the room could blame him.

Anko looked at Kakashi who gave her a blank look before she regarded the others in the room. "In Orochimaru's old stomping grounds Kabuto's notes tell of how he reestablished Orochimaru's stronghold and…there's currently about a minor clan's worth of kids whose biological father is Uchiha, only two reported being over the age of five. Out of those two kids, one died in experimentation and the other went blind but was kept alive."

Dead silence. "You're fucking shitting me." Naruto blurted out; his blue eyes wide as he took in this news. Tsunade looked disgusted and appalled; Sakura's face became as white as a sheet. "You're _serious_? W-what sort of numbers are we talking about here, Anko?"

Orochimaru's former apprentice sighed. "Over the course of five years Kabuto has been taking women, many of them civilians who were homeless or whatever. He lured them there with promises of a new life and then turned them into baby-making machines via artificial insemination. The two kids that were an exception were twins and the survivor is seven. Kabuto had a shit ton of information on this place. Apparently he kept that 'project' on a tight leash while he bounced around with Uchiha from lab to lab due to some machine or equipment that he needed from there to do his research."

"Some of the women were shinobi," Kakashi interjected. "According to the notes, he was trying to determine whether or not a child born from a civilian female would be different from a shinobi one. It also mentioned he was trying to find special individuals with bloodline limits but had been unable to."

"He didn't start really trying this until five years ago." Anko crossed her arms. "There were, in a course of five years, around a hundred and twenty children. Half of them died due to Kabuto's experiments. None of them have names, just numbers. The women he'd keep until the second child, and then he'd kill and dispose of the bodies to keep the numbers low. The women would be brainwashed so they wouldn't fight back. There are currently five women at the compound currently pregnant. Kabuto's been using mercs and discredited medical nin to run the place."

Hands clenched into tight fists and Tsunade scowled. "What about the children who have survived? What's he been doing with them?"

"Training them," Kakashi answered. "Since none of them are over the age of five with the exception of the blind girl, many of them aren't incredibly skilled." He shook his head. "Kabuto apparently put a lot of time and effort into those initial children. There was something about the mother that had been exceptional but those notes were too difficult to really read. There's a lot of information on them from the time they were four until the girl turned seven this year. With the rest of the children he had planned on using and manipulating them in an attempt to rise to power."

"And what better way to do that than with a bunch of brand spanking new Uchiha?" Anko sounded disgusted. "Orochimaru was fucked but this guy...he's on a completely different level." No one bothered to correct her.

Something dark crossed the Hokage's features. "Noru." The blonde turned his head to the side as an ANBU appeared behind him in the dark corner of the room. "I want one tracking team to go and scout the area. I want to know _exactly_ how many women and children are at that stronghold and what we'll be up against if we storm the place. I want to get the report as soon as possible. The moment I hear word I'm sending out three of the top squads for a rescue mission."

"Hokage-sama." The figure bowed respectfully from his crouched position and then disappeared.

Naruto turned to Kakashi. "I want three teams of jounin to follow the main ANBU squads." He turned to Sakura and Tsunade. "I want two teams of your best medical nin ready to go when we get word back." The Hokage's frown was deep and contemplative. "Don't tell Sasuke about this yet and none of the jounin need to know the truth about those kids and that place; they're just backing up ANBU.

"I want Hinata in here in the morning. I know she's supposed to be welcoming Gaara and all that but until I can make some real plans the Hyuuga is the only clan large enough to support an influx of between sixty and seventy children all at once. This is…"

Dropping his head he rubbed a hand through his hair in frustration and he flashed Sakura a small smile when she walked over, her expression worried as she gently put her arms around her husband's shoulders. "These kids are gonna need teachers or something. We don't even know how bad Kabuto's messed with the ones that survived." He looked up at Anko. "Those twins, was that it? Just that their mother was different in some sort of way?"

She gave him a 'you really aren't going to like this' look. "She had also been the only one not artificially inseminated." She waited for that to sink in a moment. "Apparently, before Kabuto wiped Sasuke's memories the guy had known about the kids; a few escape attempts had been made. I have no idea how he got Uchiha and the twins back afterwards. It just says that the attempts failed."

"So the girl will know that Uchiha is her father?" Tsunade frowned thoughtfully and Anko shrugged.

"Yeah. What we got from Kabuto's personal notes was that he manipulated the girl by allowing her to spend time with Uchiha if she cooperated with all his tests. The reason the girl is blind was from a backlash of Kabuto trying to erase her memories, which failed. It's one of the reasons the girl was kept alive after the fact. He had wanted to know why her mind had resisted."

"How was Kabuto able to get Sasuke in the same room with the girl and nothing happen?" That didn't sound right to Naruto; the moment Kabuto would have freed Sasuke the fallen avenger would have lashed out and tried to kill the man.

"Drugs, basically." Anko sighed. "Honestly? I have no idea how the hell that lab was destroyed and Uchiha escaped. Kabuto knew how dangerous the kid was and had always taken measures to keep him immobile or too out of it to really do anything."

Tsunade crossed her arms. "I think we should tell Uchiha about the girl." Eyes snapped to her in surprise. "He might not remember her now and Kabuto erased almost all of his memories but there's still a chance that he'll find the girl familiar with a chance of him even remembering her, especially if Kabuto had the two interact a lot. Uchiha will never remember anything years and years back but if he's seen that girl within the past year, it might trigger something. Also, it might get Uchiha to open up more; all other efforts have done nothing but piss the guy off and make him more reclusive. It's counterproductive. I can't help him when he's being so stubborn."

Anko smirked. "You could also use the girl as leverage on Uchiha's pardon for the other nations. It's underhanded as hell, but whatever works, right?"

"If it comes down to it, yeah, we'll do that." There wasn't too much Naruto wouldn't do if it meant helping out his friend…especially with a situation like _this_. There was a small clan's worth of _children_ sitting in some stronghold being manipulated and all of them were his best friend's kids. It was mind boggling. He'd bet Sasuke hadn't even known about it even when he had held his memories. Kabuto had single handedly restored the Uchiha clan for his own sick purposes.

The situation was delicate and difficult. Those old farts in the council would either take the children's existence as a detriment or an enhancement to the village. All of the kids were very young, easily manipulated, and the Hokage knew he was going to have to fight hard to keep that from happening. They didn't deserve that crap.

"Alright, I want Hinata and Gaara – might as well tell him too since he'll be staying there – and I want all of you guys here when we tell him about…" He looked at Anko and Kakashi. "What's her name anyway? Does she even have one?"

Putting a hand on her hip Anko nodded. "Yeah, according to the notes Sasuke was the one who had actually named her. Kid's name is Kira."

xxxxx

Three sneezes filled the silent room and Sasuke blinked, a little surprised. Was someone talking about him or something? He remembered hearing some sort of saying, 'sneeze three times' or something like that. Leaning back in his chair he took in the Hyuuga who was lying in his bed, eyes closed and still feverish.

His dark gaze was carefully blank as he took in their joined hands. Neji had refused to allow Sasuke to physically leave his presence and if he was completely honest with himself he didn't mind it. His breathing seemed to have evened out although brown brows remained furrowed as if in pain. It wasn't until Neji's grip on his hand became slack that Sasuke slowly stood up and walked into his bathroom.

Taking a cloth and a small container he filled it with cold water and walked back, dropping the cloth in and turning his attention to the bandages that always seemed to be wrapped around the man's forehead. Although Sasuke had wondered why a few times he had never asked. It had seemed…wrong somehow. He wanted to try and get Neji's fever down even just a bit, so he decided he'd just apologize to the guy later if it was some hideous scar or whatever.

Sasuke had gotten as far as loosening the bandages before a hand snapped up and grabbed his wrist, silver-tinted white eyes snapping open and shifting to take in the Uchiha. For a moment, the two men stared at each other, black against white.

"What are you doing?" It didn't sound accusing and Neji didn't sound angry. It was honest curiosity. He sounded a bit clearer after a little while of resting in Sasuke's bed and he looked over at the container of water sitting on the night stand. After a moment the grip slackened and a hand moved to brush along his forehead for a moment, looking tense.

The Uchiha rubbed his wrist, frowning slightly. "I wasn't trying to –"

"I know." With a grimace the long haired man sat up, his hand slowly unraveling the bandages. "I am sorry. That was an automatic reaction…I suppose you'll understand why in a moment."

The bandages dropped into Neji's hand and Sasuke's eye widened at the bright green elaborate marking along the Hyuuga's forehead. It looked like…a seal? He knew a little about seals but he couldn't at all fathom why Neji had such a thing.

_He hides it and is very protective…_ Frowning, the raven haired man shifted to the container of water, wringing out the wet cloth to place on his guest's forehead. "Here, lie back down. This might help with the fever a bit."

He did as instructed but his gaze remained very focused on his host, as if he was trying to look for something specific. When the wet cloth was placed along his heated forehead, Neji frowned. "You're not going to ask?"

Sitting down, he took the other man's hand again and felt a little relieved when the Hyuuga relaxed a bit. "It's not my place to ask you something like that…" There was a small pause as he tried to figure out how he wanted to word himself. "You hide it for a reason, that's enough for me."

In response Neji squeezed Sasuke's hand slightly, a small smile on his face as he looked up from the bed. Why was it whenever he saw the Hyuuga's mask break it…did something to him? "Thank you, but it is not a story I have not told before. It is a cursed seal and in my clan the marking represented that I was to be subservient to a higher caste within. It was abolished years ago and they stopped marking children with this seal but…"

"Subservient? You mean you were at the mercy and bidding of your own clan?" It sounded appalling to him and nonsensical. What was the point? No one deserved servitude; no one deserved to be chained against their will. No one. He'd had firsthand experience with that if those dreams meant anything, and he hadn't liked it.

"I was considered a branch member, and yes, we were basically lesser individuals in the eyes of the main house. We were inferior and many of us were treated as such." There were hidden implications in Neji's tone and Sasuke felt a little ill over it all.

"…I'm sorry," he said, for lack of anything better. Neji shook his head.

"It is done and over with now. It was not an easy life, especially for someone like me, I'll admit. I was supposed to be inferior yet I was considered a prodigy, a genius. I was very intimidating to a lot of main members and I…" He let out a small sigh. "I had been constantly reminded of my place growing up and in rather painful manners...not all of them involving the seal on my forehead."

The small smile disappeared. "I had hated them for a very long time because of a misunderstanding but even after that had been cleared I still hated them for the most part because of everything else they had done to myself and the others. Even though we are united, there are very few former main house members I am fond of." He took in Sasuke's conflicted expression and smiled slightly. "Every major clan has its dark secrets, Sasuke, remember that."

A dark eye flickered to white ones. "Even mine?"

"Especially yours. There is a reason you are the only Uchiha left."

Sasuke let that slowly digest. All he knew about his clan was that they had been wiped out and he was the only survivor. Of course, as with everything else, no one had told him specifics and he had come to a point where he wouldn't even ask. Dismissing it – thinking about how people kept secrets from him like he was some sort of ignorant child frustrated and angered him – he instead closed his eyes. "Just try and get some sleep," he suggested. "How are you feeling? You said you had been hallucinating."

A small thoughtful noise came from the Hyuuga. "The hallucinations stopped the moment I left the apartment and saw you. Having you near me has been…comforting." He sounded slightly unsure of himself, or rather, worried that he would make the Uchiha feel awkward. "I also think the sleeping pills you let me have are beginning to work."

As if to prove it he yawned softly, turning his head away from his host, eyes hooded. "I will go to the hospital once my fever breaks…I do not wish to burden you more than I –" He had cut himself off when he felt Sasuke squeeze his hand hard.

The Uchiha could feel the other man's gaze on him now but he was looking away. It was late in the afternoon now, having sat by his guest's side the entire time merely to be a comforting presence. In the span of those few hours he had probably told Neji more things about the little bit that he knew about himself than anyone else.

He never discussed his dreams or memories and while Neji could have gone to the Hyuuga or asked to be taken to Sakura or the hospital he had only wanted Uchiha to stay with him while he got his thoughts and emotions under control. Obviously trust was no longer an issue with him concerning Neji, which had been the only real reason he had been reluctant to become involved. Well, there was that and his initial humiliation from their encounter but he couldn't hold on to that excuse forever.

It wasn't as if Neji hadn't tried to make him feel comfortable these past two months. With the exception of whenever they were both avoiding each other, the older male had made it clear more than once that he wanted to be a friend to Sasuke, if nothing else. He knew Neji wanted more, _he_ wanted more, but his feverish guest wasn't for pushing himself on others. Neji had made the first few moves and Sasuke was becoming tired of feeling alone, exhausted, and frustrated with everything and everyone.

Even though he had wanted to wait until his guest's fever had broken to discuss…them, he opened his mouth to say something anyway when Neji slid his hand out from underneath his, raising to brush along his arm. Turning to face him, Sasuke took the hand and pressed his face against it, knowing it was what he had really been going for. Their gazes locked and despite the fact that Neji's gaze was a little unfocused and his face was flush from his fever he spoke very clearly.

"I have not said this out loud." A dark eye closed when he felt a thumb brush along his cheek. "I also realize that our initial encounter had gone badly…we were not lovers but that…" He let out a small sigh. "I care about you, Sasuke. Merely say the word, friendship or otherwise, and I will be there."

There was silence for a long moment, but it was not uncomfortable. Neji continued to look up at him with hazy eyes, eyes that had still been taking in every single expression his host made, determining what he could do or say next. Instead of responding Sasuke leaned forward, using his free hand to brush some of Neji's hair away from the damp cloth.

Bending, he hesitated only for a moment before tilting his head, lips brushing in a soft, chaste kiss. Face flushing, he began to move back, holding back a sigh when Neji's hand trailed along his jaw and then back down, as if that had drained him of the rest of his energy. White eyes were slightly curious as he looked up at the man who had just kissed him.

"Try to get some rest, Neji. I'm not going anywhere." Neji didn't ask for details and Sasuke let it drop. This wasn't the right time to be making any promises or declarations of love. Leaning back, he closed his eyes, taking the other man's hand once more. They did not speak for the rest of the night; even when at one point his guest had tugged lightly on his hand until the Uchiha had joined him on the bed, pressing his back against the dark haired man's front, resting a little more peacefully with Sasuke's arm draped over his waist.

They definitely had a lot of talking to do in the morning.

xxxxx

The moment Suna's ambassador – the former Kazekage – arrived in Konoha with his brother the redhead knew immediately that something was wrong when a regular member of Hinata's clan had been the one to greet them. In the time that he had known her since they had become friends, she had always made it a point to ensure that she could see him at least for a little while, if not greet him upon his arrival.

This time his small group was actually staying at the estate due to the hotel he normally stayed in being renovated. Gaara doubted nothing short of a real emergency would have kept his friend from being here considering they were staying in her establishment and Kankuro's small frown showed that he was thinking the same thing. His siblings were well aware of his friendship with the Hyuuga head. There was very little he kept from them.

The Hyuuga escort bowed respectfully. "Gaara-sama, Kankuro-sama. Hinata-sama sends her apologies; she has been in a meeting with the Hokage since last night and is unable to greet you as she had wished."

"The entire _night_?" Kankuro sounded incredulous and his younger brother shared the sentiment. As a former kage it immediately put his mind into overdrive. There weren't too many things of high importance that would require the Hyuuga's presence for that long; something to do with the Uchiha? That didn't seem to make sense to Gaara as Hinata wasn't even involved with that situation, but he had a gut feeling about it, so he put it aside as a 'maybe' in his mind. More than likely it was directly clan related for her to still be there, something vastly important.

The escort's expression remained neutral, something Hyuuga seemed to be naturally good at. "Yes." He turned to Gaara. "The Hokage wished to see you the moment you arrived; it is of the utmost importance."

It was about the Uchiha, the redhead was sure of it now. The entire reason he was here was because of the fallen avenger and somehow Hinata had been dragged into it. Her clan was the strongest and richest. Perhaps Naruto needed their influence? Perhaps he had come up with a solid plan to get full backing for the terms and conditions the Hokage wanted.

"I'll take your pack, Gaara." Kankuro held out a hand, taking the pack the redhead had on his shoulder. "Go see what's going on."

The moment he walked into the Hokage's tower he could feel the thick tension in the air and found himself becoming worried for his friends. There was something seriously wrong and he quickened his steps, face expressionless despite his feelings.

When one of the guards at Naruto's door spotted him he immediately started shuffling to get the door open. "Please, Gaara-sama, the Hokage is expecting you."

One could have cut the tension in the room with a kunai it was so thick. Green eyes took in Naruto's unusually grim expression, Hinata's soft but sad. The former Hokage was standing off to the side, arms crossed under her extremely large bust, obviously angry and highly agitated.

All three sets of eyes flickered to him as he entered the room. He returned their glances before addressing Naruto. "Naruto, Tsunade-sama, Hinata-san, I take it that my presence here means that somehow Uchiha Sasuke is involved." There really wasn't any other reason for him to be at this meeting otherwise.

"Yeah." Naruto leaned forward, resting his chin against his balled up hands. "It's about Sasuke."

When he was told about the stronghold, the children and the special child named Kira he could not even attempt to hide his utter and complete shock at the scenario. So Kabuto had been taking half of children and trying out different experiments while the other half was being trained to be under the man's control: a small army. Apparently, the endless experiments on Uchiha had begun to take its toll over the years which had prompted Kabuto to use descendants, giving him an endless supply of Uchiha to do whatever he wanted.

"Is Uchiha aware of this?" he asked once he had been able to school his expression back to one of indifference.

The blonde haired male shook his head. "No, and for now I want to keep it that way. We're going to tell him about the girl since we got from Kabuto's notes that Sasuke had directly interacted with both twins for a while."

A small frown. "I am confused as to how someone that had been captured and drugged against their will could have been able to impregnate a female, if what you are saying is true," Gaara said in reference to the first mother who had not been artificially inseminated.

This time Tsunade stepped in. "Manipulation, drugs, mind control jutsus, even a mixture of all of them, take your pick." She scowled. "I don't think either of them had been willing participants, not with the way Kabuto's been working. There had been something really significant about the mother.

"I looked over the notes and you could tell he had been extremely agitated at losing her during childbirth. We're thinking maybe she was some sort of powerful shinobi or maybe held a bloodline limit; he had never been able to find another, it seemed. After that and his failed attempts with the twins resulting in one dying and one going blind was what had made him start to put one child aside while the other would be set up for full experimentation."

Gaara contemplated how this was going to affect his mission. He had expected the Uchiha situation to end quickly. It had been the reason he had volunteered to be ambassador in Temari's place when his initial plans had been to begin traveling the lands. A small clan's worth of children couldn't be ignored; the other nations could react in either a favorable manner or vice versa.

Knowing that the children had been raised so far by Kabuto and his people many would find the children untrustworthy. Some would fear them revolting like their predecessors had before the order to slaughter the clan had been made. Their father was an international criminal and even if a pardon was passed the villagers here would more than likely shun them.

Judging from his long time friend's expression, he had also come to that conclusion and the two shared the same feelings on it. As two individuals who had been shunned during their childhood, they did not want to see it happening to others.

"The Hyuuga will be housing the children until more permanent housing is made available," Hinata came in softly, her expression still sad and Gaara found himself wanting to go over and, if nothing else, put a comforting arm around her shoulders. It disoriented him for just a moment. He was not a person who craved or gave physical affection.

"We've all been discussing long term plans." She took a small breath. "I've suggested that the Hyuuga clan bring the children under us to raise until some of them become of age to actually lead them as their own independent clan. I've also requested that the children continue their shinobi training separate from the academy. A sudden influx of Uchiha children would cause more harm than good. I am sure Iruka-sensei would be fine with testing them to the side for when they are ready to become genin."

"You do not wish for Uchiha to take control of the children? He is their biological father even if he hadn't been an active participant."

"Uchiha-san holds no memories of his past. That includes the way clans work and function," Hinata explained, her fingers picking at the edges of her sleeves, a nervous habit. "I am more than willing to train him but only if he truly wishes to lead. If he…would like to do that then until he is ready and had everything properly established the Uchiha would be considered a subhouse, or an extension, of the Hyuuga. This would make Uchiha-san have a solid voice amongst the rest of the clan heads in the village. But…it has only been two months and I am told that he is still in a very delicate state of mind. I don't wish to overwhelm him."

Green eyes shifted to blue. "You are not going to tell him the truth about everything that's going on." It was not a question and Naruto sighed.

"Not just yet. The official street word when we bring them back will be that Kabuto had stolen the children, which is…kinda true I guess. We're not telling anyone they're Sasuke's just yet. I'd have a riot on my hands if they found out too soon. We want to tell Sasuke about Kira, though, and go from there."

"When are you planning on telling him?" Gaara crossed his arms, thinking. This situation had gone from simple to incredibly complicated in a matter of days. If Temari hadn't already Gaara more than likely would be getting a message from her about it the moment she had gotten word.

There was a knock on the door and Naruto smiled wryly "Right now."


	7. Chapter 7

7

xxxxx

_"Father…I told that man that I'd…" Tiny hands gripped one that was larger, stronger. "H-he says…he'll let me come visit you more if I do…" Gently her hands shakily trailed up a thinned forearm and bicep from lack of use before reaching up to touch him, to 'see' him the only way she knows how. She smiled when her fingertips brushed along her father's slightly upturned lips. He never said much, couldn't really, but she knew her father loved her, had loved Keisuke before he had…_

_There was warmth along her back and she shifted so that she was leaning up against him on what she thought was possibly a bed, the feel of her father's hand on his daughter comforting and protective . The girl was so happy; usually father was way too incoherent to respond properly to anything. Fortunately, the pleasant surprises weren't over just yet._

_"K…ira…" It sounded strained, as if he hadn't used his voice in a long time, which was absolutely correct. There was a harsh noise, her father trying to clear his throat. "Soon…" was all he said but he didn't need to say anything more, she knew and understood._

_"I…I will be ready." She promised him, and, although she cannot see it, she knew that he was smiling down at her with pride._

xxxxx

"He was lying," Hinata told Gaara quietly within the walls of the Hyuuga estate. The room was spacious and lightly decorated. The two sat in the middle, a table separating them with steaming cups of tea in front of them.

Gaara didn't even bat an eyelash. Hinata's keen sense of observation from being Hyuuga and having been in one of the best tracking squads, he was growing used to her sharp observations. If she was saying that Sasuke had lied, he was lying. Regardless, he wanted to know how she had come to that conclusion. "He seemed genuinely confused and surprised at the name and the association."

She answered a question with a question. "Gaara-san, in the years you've known Uchiha-san, have you ever known him to be calm about something very important? Even now?"

Now that he thought about it, after the initial shock Sasuke had locked up emotionally and had refused to cooperate. His answers had become short and clipped. Tsunade, as always, had been frustrated with him. The redhead's longtime friend looked sad and wistful. He was Uchiha and yet he was not Uchiha; they knew it and he could tell that they wished otherwise.

Sasuke resented them for it. Gaara had only seen the man interact with his old companions a few times and while Sakura and Naruto did not seem to realize it, it was glaringly obvious from an outsider's point of view. Whenever they spoke of his past self, whenever they said or did something to see if he would remember just a little bit, his face and gaze would become colder and colder and his answers shorter and distant.

The distance they were used to from the old Sasuke, the _genuine_ dislike and resentment he broadcasted was not something he had displayed before leaving the village and _that_ was the Sasuke they wanted back.

"He is never going to tell them the truth," Gaara accurately observed. "Anything and everything they will find will have to be on their own."

She knew, but of course she did, Hinata was not blind despite her pale eyes. The fact that she did see it was probably the reason she had not sold Uchiha out during the meeting. He was beginning to learn the quirks that made up the quiet woman. Hinata was a relatively easy person to read if one took the time to actually pay attention to her.

The moment Uchiha had claimed that the name of the girl didn't sound familiar her index finger had twitched slightly in response to the lie; had he not been standing beside her, even he would not have noticed it. Or perhaps he would have. Gaara was a realist and a person who never denied his own feelings, regardless of how uncomfortable they made him or others. He knew his interest was becoming more than friendly.

He had absolutely no intentions of entertaining it or pursuing it – it would never work for way too many reasons – but he was actually happy about the fact that he finally truly felt something for the opposite sex in romantic terms. There was the sexual attraction of course. Hinata was a beautiful and well-endowed woman, but that alone would not have caught his attention or kept his interest. He thoroughly enjoyed their friendship and had already decided that when he was finally done here and pursing his real desires of traveling that he'd keep in close contact with her.

His compassionate friend sighed and took a sip of her tea. "I…I want to help them but…" She sighed again, looking sad. "Naruto-kun and Sakura-san are so happy knowing that Uchiha-san is alive…but unless he says something they'll never understand why he's slowly becoming the person he is. I've wanted to maybe talk to Naruto-kun about it…"

"It is good that you refrained." The grateful look she gave made him flash a ghost of a smile in return. "Naruto will see what he wishes to see, nothing we say will change that. More than likely he is probably aware of what he is doing but is unable to help himself. In either case, it is neither our affair nor something we could assist in even if it was."

He leaned back slightly, adjusting his position on the pillow. "The Hyuuga truly can host all of those children?" He changed the subject to something semi-professional in nature. Hinata tended to dwell on things at times and he had to admit he was beginning to…dislike it when she looked sad. She was much more beautiful when she had that ghost of a smile always on her lips, ready to turn into a real one whenever something pleased her.

A small nod. "When the Hyuuga were divided the main house was exceptionally large and exceptionally empty. Many former branch members have moved into the empty rooms. The branch house is much larger as they had been the majority.

"There is more than enough room for seventy or more children. The remaining occupants will care for them. Many of them are midwives or elderly; they will be glad to have so many children to spoil." She smiled warmly, that smile that always gave him a strange feeling in his chest. The smile that made him realize his feelings ran deeper than friendship.

"Would you like for me to ask Temari to send assistance? We are your allies and the sudden influx will be pressing even for your clan. A few extra hands could help, especially if you wish to have them continue their shinobi training, and we can spare the manpower."

As he had expected, her gaze locked with his and the silent war began. She hated inconveniencing people; this was most certainly no exception. Hinata always lost these battles. While she was a very patient individual and she held out longer than most against him, Gaara held infinitely more patience than anyone he had ever come across. He was also exceptionally good at keeping his expressions neutral and his gaze steady. Hinata tended to shift after a while and would become embarrassed.

He has been told that he has a rather intense gaze for someone who physically shows little emotion; if the eyes truly were the windows to the soul, he wondered what Hinata thought whenever they locked gazes like this. Did she find his gaze intense like the others? Could she see his innermost feelings? Hinata was very good at reading people; he was not vain enough to believe that he was an exception.

Even though he shouldn't, he briefly wondered how she would feel if she _did_ know. It was fleeting. Anything between them was impossible, so there were no sense in entertaining such thoughts.

Once again he won the silent war as her cheeks flushed and her gaze shifted away shyly. He had not known her until recently but he wondered if her shyness was an old personality trait. She did not act like that around important figures and dignitaries. Only around those she was close with did she become more bashful, an oddity really.

"I-if Temari-san and Naruto-kun are fine with it then…" She let the sentence trail off, another strange habit of hers.

He nodded briefly and took another drink of his tea. It was quite good. He wondered if perhaps the fresh taste was because she was actually growing the tea leaves instead of it being purchased. "I will have word to you within the week."

"I –" She paused and both adults turned to the door when a former branch member entered the room, bowing.

"Hyuuga-sama, there is important news for you."

There was a brief flicker of confusion in her eyes but her face remained serene. "It is alright Hiroko-san, you can tell me right here."

The white eyes of their guest took in the former Kazekage warily before nodding. "Neji-sama checked himself into the hospital this morning and will be released within the hour…do you wish for him to return to the compound?"

Hinata's back straightened in alarm before she forced herself to become more relaxed. If he was being checked out within the hour, it couldn't have been that bad and she realized that. "No. If Neji-niisan needs us, he will come here. What was the issue?"

"Trauma is what the medics are saying. He volunteered for a psychological exam and will be discharged when Hokage-sama sends final word."

His friend frowned thoughtfully. "I understand. Neji-niisan is an ANBU captain, after all. Please let me know what Hokage-sama decides Hiroko-san."

With another respectful bow the woman left as quietly as she had come in. The moment she left, Hinata's expression became pained and she refused to look up at him, not wanting to show her 'weakness'. That strange insecurity in her was deeply rooted, so when she became like this Gaara said and did nothing. It would have no long lasting effect on her in any case.

Slowly she stood, smoothing out her plain dark violet kimono. He also stood, keeping his expression impassive when she flashed him a small smile. "Will you be eating out tonight, Gaara-san?"

There was a small pause as he debated how he wished to answer as the initial response had been…too suggestive. It was one thing to think fondly of someone, it was another to make that interest known.

For some reason he didn't understand, he said it anyway. "Only if you will be joining me, otherwise I will find something within the kitchen." He said it flatly and with no trace of emotion but a few months was enough for them to have a semi understanding of each other. She blushed, the action making her look like a beautiful porcelain doll.

Gaara knew he shouldn't have said that. He should _not_ have said it because the implications were not something they could indulge in. Yet he had said it anyway and coming from him, he might as well have asked her on a date and she knew it.

Hinata completely surprised him when she gave him one of her soft yet sad smiles and for some reason the tightness in his chest returned, but for a different reason. "I will unable to accompany you, so I will make sure the cooks leave you with something for whenever you become hungry. Maybe…we could have lunch again sometime when our schedules are less pressing."

She had outright rejected him and he had no idea how he should feel about that. He knew _why._ Their reasoning on the situation was the same, it seemed. Perhaps it was the fact that she had actually done it that surprised him more so than the words themselves.

_Why should I have expected anything less?_ If the situation were reversed, he would have done the same thing…hopefully his moment of rashness had not ruined their friendship. He cared about her. He did not wish to cut off ties.

"That is fine, Hinata-san, my schedule is more free than yours. I only ask for advance notice in case something comes up." If she wanted him around he would be there, otherwise he would go about his business. He hated dancing around her verbally; it was something one did to politicians, not friends. Unfortunately, it was somewhat necessary around a person like Hinata because she hated hurting her friends' feelings. She would feel guilty and blame herself for something that wasn't her fault to begin with: another strange personality trait of hers.

He gave her a small but respectful bow. "It is still early but you have been up all night and still hold a full schedule today. If you have need of me, I will be in my room. If I leave, I will inform someone of where I can be found."

Without waiting for a response he turned to leave, aware of the solid wall that was now between them due to his small bout of foolishness. Hinata had done the right thing and yet he realized that he felt slightly hurt by her refusal. It was irrational, so he eventually dismissed it. She had offered lunch which meant their friendship was still intact and that was truly what he wished for.

_No more foolishness, I will not be here long and I do not wish to make my stay here uncomfortable for her…us._

xxxxx

_What in the world am I going to do for two entire months?_ Neji thought miserably as he walked back up the stairs to his apartment complex. It was close to noon and he had just gotten out of the hospital after a short chat with Naruto. While he understood it had to be done and he didn't exactly blame his friend, he didn't like it either.

He didn't enjoy being bored and that was definitely going to happen with no missions for two _months_. He supposed it could have been worse. Naruto could have removed him from ANBU altogether. He'd deal with the boredom.

Digging into one of the pockets of his robes his fingers brushed over the pill bottle he had been given for his current condition. Because of the hallucinations, he had been unable to go back into his apartment. Sasuke had ended up going and grabbing the Hyuuga some clothes. He had also made an off handed comment about how his water bill was going to be astronomical because he had left the shower running to which Neji shrugged off. He had the money, it wasn't like he was a big spender and ANBU were definitely paid well.

The thought of Sasuke reminded him that he had promised the other male he would return and tell him about the hospital visit. While Uchiha truly was worried for him, the real reason he wanted Neji to return was so that they could discuss what they wanted from each other. They would have talked earlier but Naruto had sent for Sasuke early in the morning and so the promises were made to meet up again.

_Wait…is that blood?_

He was going soft. How had he not noticed it before? Looking down at the steps he saw a thin trail of blood droplets. Frowning, he followed the trail as he made his way up to the top floor. When he passed the floor below him and the trail continued something hard settled in his stomach. The top floor held three out of five occupants and the other guy was on mission; Neji spoke to him every now and then. He could have come back and had been injured; it didn't _have_ to be Uchiha's blood like his intuition was telling him.

Once again intuition beat logic when the trail did in fact stop at Sasuke's door, which was slightly ajar. That alarmed him. Were the injuries more than what he had believed? Activating his Byakugan he found Uchiha alone and standing in the middle of his apartment.

"Sasuke?" he waited for a moment for a response as he slowly pushed on the door. When he received no answer he pushed the door all the way open. "Sasuke, I'm coming in."

Although it was noon the apartment was darkened. All of the blinds were shut and the lights were off. The tension in the air was strong and Neji almost left to come back at a better time. Had the meeting gone sour or was there another reason why the Uchiha was standing in the middle of his apartment, head down and fists clenched?

He noticed the blood then: small drops coming from the man's knuckles, staining the carpet. There were a few reasons for something like that but instead of inquiring he moved forward, hoping to catch the other man's attention. It failed. It seemed that Uchiha's heavy wounds were internal.

Once again he debated leaving the man in peace. Last night might have finally softened Sasuke concerning him, but Neji had all but pushed himself on the other man due to his irrational fears. It wouldn't be a far stretch for that to sharply change, and yet, he did not truly wish to leave, not when there was so much obvious pain rolling off of the other in waves.

The final decision was to go with his intuition. The results always seemed positive when concerning Uchiha. Gently, he put a hand on the man's shoulder, not even twitching when a dark eye flickered over to take him in. Sasuke didn't relax but he didn't tense either.

"You told me to come back once I was discharged from the hospital," Neji reminded, his expression shifting to one of confusion. "Are you alright Sasuke? Your knuckles are bleeding, you should –"

"I don't care," he cut off, eye narrowing. There was anger, frustration and pain there. All of it was directed inward, confusing Neji. What happened at that meeting? "I deserve more than scraped knuckles." He turned from the long haired man after that, making it difficult to read his facial expression due to the black cloth that all but covered half of his face.

When Neji shifted to try and find a first aid kit Sasuke spoke, although it was so low he almost hadn't heard it. "I forgot her." There was so much anger and pain in his tone. "I swore to myself I wouldn't, that I'd _never_ let it happen and it did. I forgot her." His fists tightened, agitating the scrapes and cuts as the gap between the droplets hitting the floor decreased.

Her? A lover perhaps? No one really knew how Sasuke's living conditions had been while with Kabuto. He could have met a female prisoner and fallen for her. Hyuuga kept his face blank to hide the hurt and confusion he was feeling. Obviously whoever the woman was, she meant a lot to the fallen avenger. He loved her, it was easy to see.

He did care for the amnesiac and those feelings were romantic in nature, but it shouldn't be affecting him like this. He could understand disappointment, but this feeling was worse than that. Had he underestimated how much he truly cared for the man? Did his feelings go so deep to feel jealousy?

Despite the inner conflict he tried to reassure the other. "Sasuke, you didn't even know your own name when I found you and the few memories you have been getting are spotty at best. It is not your fault; your memories were erased, not lost."

"You don't understand." Bloodied hands moved through hair. He really looked awful and anger emerged. "My name, my past, none of that means shit in comparison to forgetting Kira. I promised her I'd take her with me. I promised her we'd be together. Instead I've been sitting in this fucking village dealing with these fucking people who keep trying to get me to remember some _asshole_ I don't even remotely give a shit about for _two fucking months_ while she…" He sank into the couch, all of his energy seeming to drain from him. "She's waiting for me and had Naruto not mentioned her name I…"

_"It's you." He said softly, lovingly and the ANBU male was in complete and total shock. He was so shocked that when Uchiha put his uninjured arm around his neck and pulled him close, he did not resist. "I'm so glad."_

Neji tried to dismiss the memory and the feeling that came with it. It wasn't about him right now.

"Where is your first aid kit? At least clean and dress your wounds." He didn't get an answer. More than likely, Sasuke had forgotten he was even in the room, so he went to the bathroom as it was the most likely place for it to be.

_"Are you…absolutely certain…" It was spoken low and the moment the words emerged he had turned his head to the side, unable to look and see the truth in Neji's eyes. "It doesn't make any sense, I know what I feel and this…"_

_What do you feel now, Uchiha Sasuke?_ came the unbidden thought as he grabbed the first aid kit from inside the sink cabinet. _Did you have those feelings because I look like her?_ He didn't enjoy where his train of thought was going. For one, Sasuke had yet to express what his connection to the woman was and Neji was never one to jump to conclusions.

Secondly, he didn't like the fact that he was reacting in such a manner; he felt hurt and jealous. It was rather disgusting to him as the two of them were barely friends, much less lovers. He should be happy for the man for remembering her; he should be hoping that the two could reunite…not this.

Sitting down beside Sasuke he set the kit on the coffee table and began to pull out the necessary items. Knowing that Sasuke was out of it he took one hand and began to clean and dress it himself. There was no response from the other as he worked, looking over the torn and ripped flesh. He could only guess that they came from hitting his fists against something quite solid; Uchiha must have gone to the training grounds for a while in his anger.

"Will you be able to reunite with her?" Perhaps if he talked about her the other would respond more.

"…Yes." His voice was still very low "They're going to find the stronghold; that's where she is. I…would only see her every so often and…" He frowned in concentration. "I remember making her the promise that I'd come for her but I don't remember why I had felt so confident at the time. I don't remember but there's the feeling…a feeling that she became my reason to live when all I had known was pain."

Neji was currently dressing the other hand, forcing his mind to go silent. "Do not dwell over what you could or should have done. When you are reunited with her, it will all become meaningless; the only thing that should matter is being with her again. You've improved a lot over these past few months with your training. Will you be joining the rescue party?"

"She won't accompany them if I don't go. She will not trust a stranger to bring her to me and if they hurt her I'll kill them." There was no mistaking the love, devotion, and protective notes in his tone; he truly did love this woman.

Finished, he calmly put everything back in its place and put the kit back where he had found it. When he came back out into the living room, he did not walk over to Sasuke. Instead, he stood there for a long moment, face carefully blank. With a mental sigh he briefly closed his eyes. He was acting like a fool and Sasuke didn't need that when he was going through something like this.

"I have been forced to take medical leave for the next two months. I will undergo therapy once a week and I have been prescribed medication." Neji paused. "I stopped by because you had wished to know. I am glad that you will be reunited with the one you love. I am glad that you remember her. I know if I were to forget my family and loved ones I'd be happy when I remembered and could be with them again. In any case, I do not wish to overstay my welcome so I will see myself out."

The Hyuuga now had the Uchiha's undivided attention as a dark eye truly focused on him for the first time. Neji gives a side glance as he began to leave, noticing him frown in confusion. "Neji?" He stood up. "Why are you leaving?" He clearly did not understand what was going on.

He paused only for a moment. "Given the circumstances, I do not think the other half of why I had come here would be appropriate to discuss."

"What are you talking about?" Before Neji could take another step, a warm hand settled on his shoulder, turning him to face his host – his random bouts of speed were still a little alarming for Neji but he managed not to react. Sasuke looked confused and not a little bit worried, searching his face for a reason as to why the Hyuuga no longer wished to be around him.

The grip went from the shoulder to his upper arm. "You don't _look_ upset but…" The gaze shifted and he looked away slightly. "Have you…changed your mind?" He had tried to sound guarded but instead his voice sounded strained. It had been a wordless agreement between them that they would discuss furthering their relationship because of what happened last night, but the question confused Neji.

"Sasuke, I do not wish to get between you and the woman you obviously love. I truly am happy for you and if you ever need me for anything I –"

Confused frown deepening, Uchiha glanced at him and held up a hand. "Wait." There was a moment of silence as Sasuke tried to figure the Hyuuga out. After a moment his eye widened slightly, realizing what the man was referring to. Then he smiled, amused. "Neji…" With a small chuckle he moved closer, his other hand wrapping around his arm. "Kira isn't…she's not my lover."

"She's not?" he asked rather ineloquently, genuinely surprised. Sasuke's words and emotions had denoted love and affection. Now he was confused. "I do not think I understand."

There was a moment of hesitation before his hands slipped from the Hyuuga's arms to rest nervously on his hips, pulling the older male a little closer. "Kira is my daughter, not my lover. I didn't have a lover…or at least I'm pretty sure I didn't."

_His daughter?_ He couldn't even believe his ears. Sasuke had a child? How had that happened if he had been under Kabuto's thumb for the past ten years? It didn't upset him but it was extremely shocking and for a moment his mind went completely blank. As if realizing, Uchiha's hands went back to his sides and he took a slight step back.

"I don't know who her mother was," he began to explain. "One day I opened my eyes and that guy, Kabuto, told me I had…" There was a deep scowl that emerged. "That I was a father. I'm not entirely sure why but he had me name them…" His hands clenched. "Kira and her twin brother who was later…killed during an experiment."

His voice sounded strained once more. "I don't remember much, just that she came every now and then to talk and spend time with me. I was always too out of it but that didn't matter to us. I promised her that we'd be together, really together, but I don't remember why or how I knew that. I just know I made the promise." There was hesitation once more and then a small, sad frown. "My feelings for you have not changed but…she will become a part of my life again."

Neji blinked. "You having a daughter will not change things between us," he reassured. "Whatever that 'thing' ends up being. At the same time she is…your daughter and family is more important. I understand that. I do not wish to get in the way."

"It's not like that." There was a bit of inward frustration as he tried to word himself properly. "Kira is…special. I'm not sure if she gets it from her mother but she's extremely intelligent and very kind. As long as I…" He sighed, looking uncomfortable. "As long as I'm content with you she will be content is what I'm saying. I will need to completely rearrange this apartment so that she will be able to move around freely, but I don't believe either one of you will get in the way of the other."

Taking a small step forward the Hyuuga gently reached out and took Sasuke's wrist, his gaze focused on the little scene for a moment. Pale eyes flickered back up. "Is that what you wish, for us to be together?" He was curious about his statement concerning rearranging the apartment but one thing at a time. "We have not known each other long and I am sure you'll want to spend as much time with her as possible."

"I can't do that with you?" He didn't understand. "Neji, I said my feelings for you _haven't changed_. You aren't less important to me."

Were it not for the fact that he absolutely knew that this man was Uchiha Sasuke, he would have thought him a completely different person. This Sasuke was much more open about his feelings and emotions; Neji was happy about it but at the same time it was slightly disconcerting to care for a man who was yet wasn't someone. He did not think he would have ever grown feelings for the old Uchiha but this one…

"Whatever it is you wish for, I will be content with. I cannot truly explain what it is I feel for you; it has only been two months and we truly have not spent much time together. At the same time, I too have felt a connection with you and I'd like to take that however far it goes. The decision has always been yours. I've made my intentions clear."

Warm lips suddenly moved over his as the Hyuuga was pulled against the other male. He responded instinctively, arms moving around Sasuke's neck, tilting his head to return the kiss with equal passion. Strong hands moved up his back and both of them made a small sound when Neji deepened the kiss, tongues exploring, kneading, demanding. Fingers moved through his long hair before they parted, slightly breathless.

And yes, that look was still there, the look Sasuke had given him that night when he had revealed his face to him. While the Hyuuga wasn't entirely sure what it was exactly he felt for the fallen avenger, looking at him it was easy to tell exactly what the other male was feeling. The love and relief in his eyes was more than enough.

"I want to be with you," Sasuke said. "I've wanted that since I first met you."

He didn't respond for a moment. When he did, he framed the other man's face with his hands. "I told you once that just because something did not exist in the past didn't mean that it never could. I might not have been your lover then but I certainly will be now." He closed the distance between them once more.


	8. Chapter 8

8

xxxxx

A small shiver went through him as a slender, calloused finger moved over scarred flesh, its owner frowning slightly. He was propped up on his elbow, white eyes looking down at pale skin, taking in the various surgical scars on his lover's body. Once again the scarred man felt a shiver go through him when fingers brushed the scar along his abdomen and up his chest. An onyx eye met that white gaze in silent inquiry.

"Sasuke, do you remember how you got these?" Brown eyebrows were still furrowed. "They are…in…rather strategic places." The tone was flat and he was showing very little emotion on his face, but the anger was just beneath the surface. The question was practically rhetorical; he knew how his lover acquired those scars.

Leaning his head back further against his pillow the dark eyed man closed his eye. "No," he answered honestly. The Uchiha held no concrete memories of anything before his arrival. Everything was scattered and broken, even memories of his beautiful little girl.

_Kira…_

There was pressure on his shoulder as Neji rested his head there, a hand sliding up his chest – a chest that was now beginning to hold the muscular build from his younger years due to constant training instead of the weak mass it had been upon his escape. Sasuke was…happy. For the first time since arriving he felt at peace and with the person he had felt such a strong connection to upon first sight. Neji didn't love him, which was fine, but he cared and wanted to be there. In addition, he hadn't walked away when he found out his lover had a daughter, something most single males would normally balk at.

Lover. When the Uchiha had initially learned the truth he had been devastated, thinking he would be truly alone in a sea of unfamiliarity. Having that person actually _in_ his life now was not something he had foreseen and yet it felt right, like it had that first night. They were, in fact, in his bed and quite naked; their tryst having only ended a few minutes prior.

While he obviously wasn't a virgin – his daughter confirmed that – he was pretty positive he had never slept with another man before. It was mostly a feeling; he could have been some sort of slut prior to his capture. It wasn't like his past self hadn't done anything else equally fucked up in his life from the little he'd learned. In any case, he was currently feeling very sore in a particular spot at his backside.

It wasn't unbearable and the pleasure that had come from it definitely made it worth the pain, but he was seriously about to roll the hell over on his stomach and go to sleep like that. He was quite tired and sated, an amazing feeling when one reflected on the reason why.

There was a small shift at his side. "There was…" A pause. "Something I had wanted to ask about a few hours ago and I do believe I was distracted by a certain raven haired individual." He propped himself up again, long, chocolate brown hair sliding down his shoulder like silk. He smirked. "Although I cannot say I truly minded."

This was a side of his lover Sasuke was sure he showed few people, if anyone at all. He liked it. "Neji, you kissed me first," he defended, raising his brow. "You also started feeling me up first; I was just following your lead."

"Details." The smirk widened before softening slightly as a hand brushed along his cheek. He got to his point. "Your daughter, you mentioned having to rearrange your apartment for her, why?"

Had he forgotten to mention it? "Kira is blind although she wasn't born that way," Sasuke explained, his face blank as he watched Neji's eyes widen in slight surprise before narrowing. The Hyuuga was highly intelligent; he had already put two and two together with little information. "She went blind due to one of Kabuto's experiments…I don't remember the details." He shrugged. "To be honest, it's not exactly necessary. She's blind but she sees with her other senses to a point where she can get around without assistance."

"Hm?" Curiosity flashed through silver eyes. "Really?"

"Yes." He closed his eye again, trying to pull up what he could. These past two months had brought about some memories but they were too fragmented to piece together too well. "I told you that she's very intelligent; she's also very resilient and devoted to me. Because she didn't want me to worry about her, she trained herself to use her other senses to a point where she could probably be a decent shinobi if she keeps at it."

This caught Neji's interest and he found himself smiling, feeling proud of his daughter. "She shifts her chakra to enhance all of her senses. She rarely wears gloves or shoes because of it. I can…remember her saying that when we finally left that place for good that she didn't want to drag me down." He smirked. "As if she ever could."

"She sounds stubborn." There was warmth in his lover's gaze. "I believe she's inherited that trait from you." At Sasuke's look he raised an eyebrow. "You cannot deny that we could have been together much sooner had you not been so determined to push me away. I do believe that is a sign of stubbornness."

Knowing that he was right the Uchiha turned his head away. "Yes well, I don't think that matters anymore."

Fingers brushed along the side of his face to his jaw, turning him back to face Neji. There was something unreadable in his gaze as he bent down to capture his lips. "No, I suppose it doesn't." The kiss was short and gentle yet Sasuke couldn't help feeling that there was more emotion behind that somewhat chaste kiss than from the harder and more passionate ones of not even ten minutes ago. "Tell me more about your daughter, whatever you can remember."

"She…" He frowned in thought. "She's very kind and soft spoken. I was always somewhat out of it whenever I did see her but I know she had long dark hair and eyes, like mine. Well…when she went blind her eyes became almost grey…I think. Kira did whatever that snake told her to do as long as it meant she could see me, even if it was just for five minutes." At that his hands clenched into fists. "She's…strong." _Stronger than me and in so many ways._

"You will see her again, and soon." Neji's expression was a little grim despite the softness of his voice.

Kira had become his entire world when she had been born. He had continued to endure the pain and torture year after year, waiting for an opportunity to escape with her, he was positive of it. "I have to go with them; she's been in captivity all of her life. No matter how kind they sound, she'll see them as an enemy, trading one familiar evil for an unfamiliar one. She's…not very trusting unless I say it's okay."

"It's a proper mentality to have when living the life she has. It is astounding that she can manage to be strong and determined yet soft spoken and optimistic. From what you have told me so far, she is probably patiently waiting for you, no matter how long it takes." Fingers were running through short black locks. "Sasuke, petition to move into a house." The Uchiha blinked at him curiously. "It does not need to be a large house since it is the two of you but an apartment is hardly a place to raise a child."

He refrained from speaking his thought out loud; it was too soon for anything like that. "I'll ask Naruto. I think he'll help me. I…" A sigh. "I know that despite the fact that he's a clueless idiot that he truly cared for the person I was and is willing to do anything for him."

"For you." Neji corrected. "And despite all of his cluelessness and foolishness he is probably one of the very few people that truly understood you, which means that he probably understands you now. He's just having a hard time dealing with it."

When he tried to turn away his lover refused to let him, catching and keeping his gaze. "I know." And he did know and understand but it didn't make him feel any better. Neji was the first and only person to truly make him feel as if his existence was valid and treasured. Knowing that something like that was possible made it harder for him to accept anything else. "I'll…try harder. I don't really like being angry with them. It makes me feel hollow."

Lips slid over his and this time the kiss was firmer, a little more passionate although still short. "It will take time but if you have need of me I will be here." When Sasuke pulled the Hyuuga back down the kiss deepened, tongues exploring, soft moans cutting through the silence. Another chill moved through him as his lover began to move his hand over his body passionately.

He broke the kiss before all the blood from his head shifted down to his groin; it was becoming hard to think and he wasn't sure if he wanted to go another round. He was still pretty sore. As if reading his mind, Neji chuckled softly, a tongue lightly trailing over lips seductively. "Does your apartment have a tub or just a shower stall? I hear they alternated when making this complex." His deep voice was husky and the Uchiha's efforts were shot to hell if the growing tent in the sheets meant anything. Silver eyes flickered briefly to the hardening member, smirking. "A hot bath will help you." He didn't have to elaborate.

Damn, it really was becoming harder to think. Talking was shifting to the back of his mind. Pinning his long haired lover beneath him to do some rather interesting things was sounding a lot better. "Yeah, it's a tub." Sitting up he let the sheets pool around his waist, his gaze heated. Briefly, he noticed while glancing down that he wasn't the only one beginning to think talking wasn't as interesting as other things. "You know, I was wondering if you've ever done this before…you seemed to…" His voice trailed off when lips began to trail down his neck, sucking at a spot that he learned was quite sensitive. "Know what you were doing…" The last part came out breathy and slightly shaky when he felt that warm hand sliding down his chest, his abdomen and underneath the sheets.

"A few times," he admitted, although he sounded distracted, teeth trailing lightly over Uchiha's collarbone. "I've never really cared about gender." A hiss of pleasure escaped the short haired male when fingers slid down a hardened length before wrapping around, stroking. Sasuke's back arched and leaned his head back, letting out a soft moan when Neji's tongue trailed and sucked along his Adam's apple and down to the hollow of his throat. "And now there is only you."

That sinful tongue trailed along the outer shell of his ear and he actually shuddered when he felt the Hyuuga's breath brush along skin. "It's your turn." His hand moved from Sasuke's cock and up his chest once more, resting on a shoulder. "You have no idea how many times I've dreamed of you being inside of me…I believe this is as good time as any to make dreams come true, don't you?"

With a low growl Uchiha shifted, pinning his lover beneath him. He ground his hips, both men moaning at the friction against their erections. "How can I deny such a request?" He hovered his lips inches away from Neji's. "Especially when I've also dreamed of being inside of you many, _many_ times." He practically smashed their lips together as they locked into a passionate kiss.

xxxxx

"The results from the psychoanalysis are in each one of your folders, ambassadors." Tsunade's expression showed obvious annoyance. "Now then, is there anything else you'd like to do to insult me and my medical teams' capabilities?"

A dark skinned male in his mid thirties looked up at the older woman with a small frown. The Kumo symbol could be seen from his shoulder patch. "That was not why we brought our medical specialists and you know it, Tsunade-sama," he defended. "But regardless there's nothing wrong with a second opinion."

The sannin stood up "Just _who_ do you think you're dealing with here –"

"It does not matter, in any case," the ex-Kazekage said quietly but firmly, his jade gaze devoid of emotion. Ambassadors from every major nation were currently sitting at the round conference table in the Hokage's tower. From Konoha there sat Sakura, the Hokage himself, Tsunade and the Hyuuga head. Hinata's eyes looked rather sad, although that was almost a normal expression for her due to their shape. Gaara closed his folder. "The results are the same across the board; Uchiha Sasuke does indeed have amnesia and it is permanent. I did not make it a habit of punishing innocent men as Kazekage. Temari will not either. Suna will honor Konoha's proposal to allow Uchiha to start anew within its walls under the condition that he does not move his residency outside of the village. Regardless of what the truth is now, he will need to remain where he can be properly protected due to his past actions."

Thick black-rimmed glasses were adjusted on a matured but kind face. "Kirigakure will also support the agreement," Choujuro said softly. "Mizukage-sama trusts Konoha to do what is best in regards to Uchiha-san."

"That's all well and good," a short, black haired woman murmured, her expression serious. "But what of the supposed army of Uchiha children that Konoha wants to take under its wing?" The pink-eyed kunoichi looked at Naruto. "How do we know you will not use those children to your advantage later? A sudden influx of children from that person's line would be a powerful force to go to war with."

Slamming his hands on the table Naruto stood up, blue eyes glittering with anger. "What the hell do you take me for? You seriously think I'd take Sasuke's kids and –"

"The Uchiha clan," Hinata began softly. "Existed well before Uchiha Sasuke defected. The reason the clan had become a threat was due to Uchiha Madara's influence. What isn't well known is that the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans were once rumored to be one and eventually somehow or another they split. We can be considered cousin clans."

She closed her eyes briefly. "The Hyuuga will be taking the children into custody and, unless circumstances change otherwise, they will become their own branch of Uchiha-Hyuuga. We are one of the oldest clans of all the five major nations and our record for loyalty is impeccable. Since Uchiha Madara is no longer alive that negative influence has been eliminated. As they are our cousin clan, they will be under Hyuuga protection until a clan leader can be determined."

"Sandaime never agreed with what Danzou did to the Uchiha clan," Naruto continued, still looking irritated at the Iwa ambassador. "I'm not gonna let that happen again; I don't care _what_ Tsuchikage wants."

"This meeting concerns whether or not Uchiha Sasuke will be tried as a war criminal, not on the children that will be rescued from Yakushi Kabuto's stronghold," Gaara interjected before Kurotsuchi could snap at Naruto. "Since it would seem that the majority supports Uchiha's stay by default his biological offspring will be extended the same courtesy. This then falls under Konoha's control. It is not our business how they treat their own clan members nor do we have a say. The children are irrelevant to this meeting and any act of aggression towards them prior to them arriving to their new home should be seen as an act of war against Konoha. Suna will stand by and support its ally if that were to happen; keeping peace between the nations has been the goal since the war ended."

It was a veiled threat and both ambassadors from Iwa and Kumo stiffened, glaring at Gaara with open hostility. He met their heated gazes with cool composure.

"They're just children…" Choujuro said softly, looking a little upset. "With our stained past, Mizukage-sama believes strongly in raising and protecting children. They deserve a chance to grow up and live."

"As long as Konoha keeps their end of the bargain concerning the universal peace treaty, Raikage-sama will have no complaints." The Kumo ambassador, although he sounded calm, looked irritated. "If the Hyuuga wants to raise those kids, fine."

Tsuchikage's bodyguard and ambassador didn't look too thrilled either. Leaning back in her chair she waved a hand dismissively. "Iwa also supports the agreement."

The blonde gave the two surly ambassadors a huge grin. "See? That wasn't so hard now was it? Alright, let's go over the fine print one more time, sign and then get the heck out of here. There's a bowl of ramen with my name on it and you guys have kept me here for hours! I'm starving already!"

xxxxx

The sliding door to his guest room opened and Gaara turned briefly to his brother before going back to his bag. "You are all packed then, I am assuming?"

Kankuro walked in and over to the bed, flopping unceremoniously down on it. "Finishing up?"

As if on cue the redhead zipped up his traveling bag, finished. "Yes. We will depart early in the morning, if that is alright with you."

"Yeah, it's cool." He was quiet for a moment. "You okay?"

Jade eyes narrowed in slight confusion "I am fine. Why do you ask?" At his brother's downcast expression, Gaara sighed slightly. "I am not heartbroken, if that is what you're inquiring about."  
It didn't seem that his brother believed him and he secretly wished that he hadn't said anything concerning his situation with Hinata.

He had made a mistake due to his own foolishness but had not lost his friend in the process. Gaara was content with this. He saw no reason to feel upset or regretful."Hinata-san and I live lives that do not complement each other," the younger explained. "It is foolish to believe otherwise. She is a wonderful friend and I am happy with that."

His brother looked at him for a moment more and he resisted the urge to smile. His siblings were still so overprotective concerning him. It never ceased to make him happy. It felt…good knowing that he was genuinely loved. "If you say so." With a sigh, the puppet master stood and headed for the door. "It's late. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night Kankuro."

Shortly thereafter, Suna's ambassador found a comfortable position on the floor and began to meditate. Although he no longer needed to fear sleep, he had gone without it for sixteen years of his life. Because of this, true sleep eluded him. His body simply could not calm itself enough to fully relax into deep slumber. To counteract this, he meditated, his mind in a state of half-awareness. It was in this state that he realized he was not alone in the room. He heard the door slide open and the soft smell of lavender filled his senses.

"Hinata-san." He did not open his eyes although he was now fully aware of his surroundings. "Are you having troubles sleeping?" Green eyes opened to gaze up at pearl. She was still in her normal kimono but without the usual happi coat. In the darkness her skin looked almost luminescent, her long dark hair a sharp contrast. She was truly beautiful, but not simply because of her looks.

Years of training had her standing properly, her hands demurely in front of her. There was something very sad about her expression, causing him to frown slightly in worry. "You…will be leaving in the morning right?" her voice was soft, blending in with the silence instead of cutting through it.

Gaara merely stared at her for a moment, trying to determine a possible reason for her visit so late at night but none came to mind. The meetings were over. When he returned to Suna, a replacement would have been found and then he was departing on his own to travel the lands. He would keep in contact with her, of course, along with everyone else precious to him. Something clicked in his mind. "Ah, you are here to say your farewells. I take it then that you will not be escorting us to the gate?"

She did not answer and he began to find himself slightly apprehensive as she continued to look unhappy. A cold feeling moved though him; could she have perhaps changed her mind about their friendship? It wasn't that he wouldn't respect her wishes but it would…hurt.

"I'm…sorry." She was looking down as she spoke, unable to meet his gaze. He was confused. What did she need to apologize for?

"There is nothing for you to feel sorry for, Hinata-san." Slowly he stood, keeping his leg muscles from cramping. "We were able to accomplish much in a rather short amount of time. If you need anything concerning the children…" He paused when she looked up at him again, her pale eyes still sad with a hint of…regret? Guilt?

"I-I…" Biting her lip she sighed softly "I didn't refuse you because I didn't return your feelings, Gaara-san."

This was about what happened a few weeks back? He blinked at her, a little surprised and confused. "I am aware of why you did it and it was the right thing to do. I would have done the same in your position and it was inappropriate for me to hint at such a thing in any case." That did not seem to be the answer she wanted to hear, leaving him at a loss. "I am…not upset, if that is what you're worried about."

Now she looked confused and he was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable. There was a specific reason she was here and while he had an idea of what it was he seemed to be unable to respond in a manner that would alleviate her stress. "Oh." She looked down again. "I'm sorry. I must have…misunderstood your feelings…"

He wasn't exactly sure how it would affect anything between them but he decided to clarify the situation anyway. "If you wish to know how I feel about you…" He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "I find you to be a very kind, compassionate, and caring individual. You are very intelligent and there is a quiet strength to you, much like my own. You've become one of my precious friends but it is true that I feel more than that. Anything more than friendship between us is impossible and we both know this. I am content with merely being your friend. It would sadden me if I were to lose that."

The Hyuuga head continued to remain silent for a while, her hands clenching just a bit. "Does it…have to be impossible?"

The question confused him. "I am leaving to travel for a year or two; more than likely when I return to Suna, Temari will wish to have me as Kazekage once more. We are both very important individuals to our respective countries so yes, it is impossible."

It took him a moment but he was beginning to realize why she was, in fact, so sad. There was a bit of hesitation on his part. What could he do? Now he understood how Temari felt when she and Shikamaru separated for good, neither wishing to abandon their place of birth to be with the other. Her smile had been bittersweet three years prior when she learned that he had married the biggest tomboy out of Konoha's rookie nine, Tenten.

_"She's completely different from other girls,"_ she had said. _"He was never into loud or materialistic women. They didn't make sense to him. She's perfect for someone like Shikamaru; she's down to earth but at the same time won't put up with his sexist crap. She's not amazingly pretty but she's not ugly either…"_

Mentally sighing, he slowly closed the distance between them, his mind carefully blank as his eyes took in her curious expression. Slowly, he raised his hands, gently framing her face. He could feel the heat of her skin increasing as she blushed. "Hinata-san, it is better not to focus on what could have been. Instead, focus on what you do have, especially if it does not make you unhappy." He waited for a moment and when he saw that she would not push him away he bent his head, brushing their lips together. She was as soft as he had believed and he tried to lock her in his mind. Her skin, lips, her natural lavender scent, those bright pale eyes...he did not wish to forget any of it.

Pulling away, he brushed his knuckles gently along her cheek and jaw. "I will not forget you," he promised. "I will think of you often and I will keep in touch as much as I am able. You are the first woman I have ever held true feelings for." He smiled softly. "And I am happy that it was you. We will meet again, I promise you that."

Her smile reminded him so much of Temari's when she had finally realized that Shikamaru had moved on without her. She was sad and yet she was happy. He briefly wondered if that was how he looked at that moment, for he was also sad to leave and yet happy that he had had these few precious moments with her.  
Genuine surprise and alarm filled him when Hinata wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another, deeper kiss. It was quickly quelled and he offered no protest when she began to gently guide him towards the bed.

xxxxx

There were times when Sasuke reacted to things instinctively when it came to sparring. He figured that more than likely this was because the body had been trained a certain way and still remembered, even if he did not. Usually his spars with Naruto were when it happened the most. It was also when he felt the most exhilarated.

One of the first things he had realized was that he was incredibly fast, to a point where he had surprised himself a few times. One moment he would be standing in one spot and then the next he had moved clear across the other side of the area. Although the Hokage was not as fast as he was it did not mean the blonde was slow. Not only could he keep up but he gave pointers and tips as well. Sparring with Naruto was probably the only time when he genuinely liked the man, but he wanted to change that, had to really.

The Hokage had fought to allow him to stay in the village and allow Kira to be with him once more. She was being held at the stronghold along with a large group of children that he had been told were orphans that had been kidnapped over the years for experimentation. It had been hinted that if he desired he could form another Uchiha clan with them and he had seriously debated on it. They had all experienced the same things his daughter had and she was probably close to many of them. Even if he didn't the children would be taken care of by the Hyuuga, but the prospect of restoring his clan and amending for his past self's sins was tempting.

_"Well,"_ Neji had chuckled softly when told the news. _"I suppose asking for a house now would be a moot point when you could be given an entire district."_

Although he was sure the Hyuuga would be able to take good care of them, for some reason he felt a driving force to want to take care of them himself; all of them having been victims of Kabuto in one way or another. The Hyuuga head, Neji's cousin, had been very kind and was willing to train him if he ever had the inclination. She promised that the budding clan would have full support and access to Hyuuga resources until they could become independent. He was still uncertain but it was an option nonetheless.

Arms came up as they blocked a kick to his head, startling him. Mentally shaking his head, he focused once again on the spar. According to the others, he was learning at an incredibly fast pace, already on the level of a chunnin after only almost three months. It was projected that within a year to a year in a half he'd be back to the level of skill he had wielded prior to his capture. While he was not ungrateful for the praise, he knew it wasn't good enough. Chunnin level wouldn't allow him to truly protect Kira should something happen and Kabuto…he could still very well be alive. His nightmares had increased when he had learned that they had been unable to find that man's body and Neji had ended up dealing with a rather nasty experience the first time it had happened while sleeping over at his apartment. He had taken it well, however, and Sasuke learned that his boyfriend – he still had a hard time believing that it had actually happened – had held onto him the entire night and well into morning.

He would probably never say the words out loud but he was truly in love with Neji. There was no question at this point.

"Alright," Naruto's voice cut him out of his thoughts. "I wish I could keep going but I got a meeting I need to be at so I gotta go take a shower and stuff." When the Uchiha only nodded he walked over and gave the other man a slap on the shoulder. "You're getting hella better, man! Good thing too since the teams are moving out tomorrow."

"They are?" An obsidian eye widened in surprise. "Why…why wasn't I told this sooner?"

"Just got word before I came here. That's what the meeting is about. If I had told ya before we got out here you wouldn't have wanted to train and we can't have that. You don't get stronger without training!" A cheesy grin spread. "You're more than welcome to come with, if ya want."

"Of course." He couldn't believe it; they had found her. They were going to rescue her. He was going to see his daughter again. Weeks had gone by since the initial order had been given to track the place down and he had been rather apprehensive; no longer.

When Sasuke stopped walking behind the Hokage and blue eyes turned to him in puzzlement he gave the other man a thin smile. "Naruto…" He looked away. "Thank you. I know I haven't been all that nice to you…"

"What?" He began to dig in his ear with his pinky, his eyes squinting. "What are you talking about, Sasuke? No matter what, we're friends. Ain't nothing gonna change that. What kind of friend would I be if I had done nothing?" It was a rhetorical question since he answered it anyway. "A shitty one, that's what! You don't need to thank me; this is what friends do for one another."

Stunned, he continued to stare at the blonde, at a loss for words. Then he smiled, a genuine smile "Yeah, you're right." They said nothing else after that but there was no need. For the first time he was actually glad he had known this man in his past.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Updating all of my fics today that I can. Went back through all the chapters, should make for an easier read.

Merry Christmas.

xxxxx

9

xxxxx

Weak. He was so weak and yet it had been perfect, a well-timed escape that unfortunately led him from the cold underground of that bastard Kabuto's lair to the harsh winter chill of…wherever the hell he was.

It was only through sheer willpower and a strong flow of chakra to his limbs that he was even able to move; his body was incredibly weak and he was emaciated from being strapped to a table for damn near seven years. He didn't really give a shit about his body, that wasn't what concerned him.

"Don't let go of me, understand?" His deep voice sounded strained, which was to be expected since he hadn't spoken in months now. Despite the weakness of his limbs, his arms tightened around two little bodies that were clinging to his top, little faces buried in his chest. They were shaking and if he did not get them out of this weather soon they would suffer. They were fraternal twins, a boy and girl, and they were _his_.

There was a shift in perspective and then he was sitting up against a tree, his arms still tightly wound around his children. How had they found them? He had gotten them so far and he'd been recovering; a few more months and…

Something tight gripped his bicep and he turned his dull gaze over to his son who was, he guessed, trying to shake him. His dark eyes were wide with fear and sadness, not for himself but for his father. Gently, he grabbed the back of his child's head and put their foreheads together.

"You two are the only things that have ever gone right in this fucked up life of mine." Was that his voice? He sounded so tired and weak. "You need to run, both of you. I _will_ find you, just wait for me." He felt his daughter crawl up in his lap and curl up against his chest, a small whimper escaping her.

Black hair. Large obsidian eyes that had long since lost their innocence and yet still shined brightly. They were Uchiha, the last two remaining with him making number three. He doesn't remember the woman he had been forced to lay with, he had been out of it at the time. He didn't regret it, though, couldn't regret his children.

His son, short black hair that came down just past his ears, shook his head. "We can't leave you…" the boy was trying to sound brave but instead it came out watery as he fought back tears. He was the older twin by two minutes and he took his status very seriously, always hovering over his sister, keeping her close.

Anger replaced sadness and fear as he looked off to the distance, looking almost exactly like his father when he had been that age. "Tch. Damnit, if only we had some gear, we could have stalled them long enough." The five year old sounds much older than his age and has the skill to support it. Both of them do.

Kabuto had been foolish enough to give _his_ children shinobi training. Of course, being Uchiha, they were both geniuses in their own right, but they were still only five, and their skills were upper academy to genin level at best.

"Forget that." He grabbed his son by the arm, getting his attention. Crimson eyes narrowed. "Take your sister and run. Protect her until I can come for you." Gently, he began to pry his daughter from his chest, but she was stubborn, dark eyes shining with tears as she tried to cling onto him.

"I don't want to go without you, Papa!" she protested but did not pull away from her brother's grip when he pulled her close. They stood there then, both of them spitting images of each other save for gender, looking at him with those sad eyes. He found himself smiling slightly; this wasn't the way he had envisioned his life after the war but he could hardly complain…not when he had them.

"Listen." He looked off to the distance briefly; they needed to go and soon. "There has been very little that's mattered to me in my life since my clan was wiped out and right now, you two are it." His hand brushed over the top of their heads. "I've done a lot of horrible things, a lot of them I'm starting not to remember so well thanks to that bastard. I'm _not_ a good person but…"

Wincing, he pushed them both slightly, a clear sign to leave. "Keisuke, Kira, for you…" _I'm not a good person but for you, I'll do anything and everything to protect you._ "Go. Now."

Then there was pain. So much pain, even though his body and senses were dulled there wasn't a place on his body that didn't ache. The twins…what happened to them?

"Missing something, Sasuke-kun?" The voice was calm and controlled with amusement just underneath the surface. "Or rather, someone?"

It was cold and the air was stale. He was back underground at one of Orochimaru's old labs. He'd been so damn close and now…

"Your son is dead, by the way."

It took everything within him not to react to that even though his heart wanted to burst from his chest. _Keisuke._ "You're lying." He refused to believe differently. His son wasn't dead…couldn't be. He couldn't lose his son; he was _tired_ of losing the only people that mattered in his life. No. He wasn't dead. Kabuto was full of shit and whenever the hell he got out of here he would rip that bastard apart like he should have years ago.

A clammy hand moved over his forehead but he couldn't see. His eyes were covered once again. "Am I?" He still sounded amused. "We caught them shortly after we found you. I had to punish them you see, but your little boy didn't quite make it. It was quite upsetting."

He was lying. Kabuto valued those two 'test subjects' more than anything, especially since the mother died during childbirth. Any other child from him wouldn't be the same to that person.

Kabuto's voice began to fade. "you're…" He still sounded amused, that bastard. "we'll…forever…"

Everything faded to black.

xxxxx

Eyes snapped open, one sightless, one not. He was being restrained, which initially made him begin to panic. He didn't like being restrained…couldn't…

"Sasuke!" A voice. He knew that voice. "Sasuke calm down. You're not in danger…Sasuke, look at me." A warm hand tilted his head to the side and he focused on pale skin, long brown hair…white eyes…

"Neji." He was disoriented and it took him a second to realize that he wasn't being restrained. His lover merely had his arms around him, keeping him from thrashing about. He could feel that same hand moving through his hair soothingly and he was pulled against a strong chest. "Your heart is beating fast." It was a lame observation and statement and yet it was the only thing that came to mind.

The Hyuuga's chest shook slightly, laughing humorously, arms tightening. "This one was worse than the others." There was a shaky sigh, the worry in his voice was apparent. "You were shouting for someone named Keisuke. I don't remember if you ever told me his name but that is your son, isn't it?"

The Uchiha wrapped his arms around the other male, smiling at Neji's use of the present tense. "Yes." A frown emerged. "I had a dream…I can't remember it though. I remember snow and the twins. Kabuto…" He tried to grab the fleeting images but failed and he shook his head. "I can't remember it at all now, it's gone."

"Perhaps it is because you are leaving tomorrow to retrieve Kira," the Hyuuga offered, his body relaxing. He did not let him go; however, still putting his fingers through thick black hair as if reassuring himself that all was well. "You are probably nervous."

As the older male moved to lie on his back Sasuke continued to lay his head on his lover's chest, arms around his middle. "I am," he admitted. "I don't know what I'll do when I finally see her."

"I believe I might have an idea." He began to trail his hand up and down Uchiha's back which earned him an appreciative shiver. "More than likely, the first thing you will want to do is have her in your arms; you will want to know that you are not dreaming up her presence."

His hand slid up a toned stomach and chest and he heard the small catch of breath from the other male. "Do you think so?"

"It is what I would do if I were in your shoes." Sasuke didn't respond and after a long moment. Neji's arms tightened once more. "You are over thinking things. I don't even have to look at you to determine that. Knowing you, you are probably worried that with your sketchy memory you will be unable to care for or make her happy. She will be content simply to have you in her life. It will not matter that you don't remember everything."

He didn't initially respond. "Have I told you that your powers of observation tend to be annoying sometimes?"

"I believe you might have mentioned it once or twice since we have been together this past month." He sounded amused. "I tend to pay more attention when you're praising or complimenting me on my many skills." Sasuke snorted at this and the two males gazes locked as the younger looked up at him.

There was silence, Neji with a small, thoughtful smile on his face as he regarded his lover. "It is…frustrating that I am unable to accompany you." He was still on medical leave from ANBU and so could not take on any missions, but that wasn't the only reason he did not wish to part with his lover. With a small frown, he turned his head to the side, fighting back the heat rising to his face. "I will…miss you. You won't be returning for at least a week to a week and a half."

It would be the longest they had gone without each other since becoming involved, and while the Hyuuga wouldn't admit it, he needed Sasuke's presence just as much as the other needed his. As often as he was there for the Uchiha's nightmares the younger had been there for his. There were also the hallucinations he still had from time to time despite the medicine he had been given.

Lips brushed along his chest. "I could ask if you could come with me," he murmured. "Maybe you could back up the medical nin. They say there are about seventy five children of all different ages that Kabuto had captured over the years. They'll need the extra help, I bet." Sitting up slightly, his hand moved over a slightly angular face. "I don't want to leave you here either. It's the worse for you at night."

There was a small shrug. "I will live; I understand that it's not real." He tried to sound reassuring but he could tell it wasn't going to be enough to fool his lover. They were both highly intelligent even if Sasuke remembered hardly anything of his past.

"At the very least, stay with your cousin until I return if you can't come with me." There was a small pause as he remembered something. "I'm sorry. I forgot that we haven't told anyone about us…"

"It is not something we are hiding," Neji was quick to interrupt. "Nor do I intend on pretending that we are not what we are." Pulling him up close there was a small sigh between them as they closed the distance between their lips. He wrapped his arms around the other and they remained like that for some time before pulling away. "If it is possible, I would like to be by your side when you finally see your daughter again…but I also understand that the reunion is one of family and I –"

"I take back what I said about your powers of observation," the Uchiha said flatly and shifted so that he was now lying on Neji's shoulder. "It seems to be selective on when it wants to function." He wasn't upset but he wasn't joking either. "I also don't like repeating myself…I hear that's a trait I've always had."

"Indeed." It was meant for both comments. He sighed. "As much as it pains me to say it, I am as new to relationships as you are. I've never actually been with someone for a long period of time. I have also never felt this way for anyone else before you and I wonder at times if we are going too fast.

"Then I wonder, if we are, do I even care? I find that I do not and yet…" There was a small smile. "I've seen the question in your gaze; sometimes I think that my feelings might be parallel to yours, but I am still unsure."

Sasuke frowned slightly. "Neji, I don't expect you to try and feel something more for me."

"And I would not force myself to do such a thing. It's not something I am attempting to feel so much as it is _there_ and there's nothing I can do about it. Since that first night I have been unable to think of little else besides you and the time we have spent together has been some of my happiest. I was extremely… relieved when you finally allowed me to become a part of your life."

"I think…" His face was blank. "That we're both adults and we both know what we want. We set our own pace and we decide how fast or slow we want it to go."

"That's all well and good if you know how the other person feels and how deeply they wish to take the relationship. What if we're not on the same page?"

He didn't answer and so the two lay there each in their own thoughts. It was not until Neji had almost drifted to sleep that Uchiha's deep voice came in.

"Wherever you want to take this, whenever, I'll have no protests or reservations, even if it's for us to go back to being friends. That's how I feel."

There was a soft sigh. "I envy your confidence in your feelings. It has been what it is since the beginning for you. I suppose it feels a little intimidating at times. Then there is your daughter." His arms tightened when Sasuke stiffened.

"It's not what you're thinking; don't get upset. Being a part of your life means that I must become a part of hers as well, but how will she feel about that? I don't know much about children although I do not mind learning. It is apprehension mostly, fear that she could find me a threat to your attentions and hate me. I know you have told me not to worry but still…"

There was a shift and then Sasuke was hovering over Neji, his expression unreadable. Although both eyes were open only one held sight, the cover over his eye removed at his lover's request. As if on cue, a pale hand moved over the scar that began from his eyebrow and down almost to the middle of his cheek. It was a thin white line at this point; the medical shinobi had done their jobs well concerning healing the prior missing nin.

Mismatched eyes closed for a moment at the feel of fingers brushing along his face, relishing the touch. When he closed the distance between them, his lips pressed lightly over the other's in a chaste kiss. This continued, the soft brushes growing firmer with each kiss. Hands trailed up and down his back and he lowered his body until their heated skin was touching and arms pulled them closer together.

Tilting his head, his tongue eagerly plunged into the sweet cavern of his lover's mouth when those pouty lips parted for him. They kneaded and fought for domination and yet were one all the same, a perfect match. Bracing his weight on his other hand, he moved his fingers through silky dark brown hair earning him an appreciative moan as they moved over his scalp.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, he pulled away, lifting his head enough for them to lock gazes once more. "She will love you." _Because I love you._ "Besides, that girl doesn't have a hateful bone in her body, even though by all rights she should."

In the low light of the room Neji's pale silver eyes looked almost like liquid mercury. They were darker and filled with warmth from desire and something else he could not quite determine. The expression on the older man's face was unreadable and yet…

His head tilted back and a low moan escaped when his lover arched his back, pressing their hardening lengths together. The thin cloth of their pants all of a sudden felt too abrasive, which was slightly alleviated through the friction of their hips now moving together. Breaths catch and become heavy; lips mesh together more passionately, rougher even. Hands that had been moving slowly up and down his back were now touching him anywhere and everywhere, leaving heat in their wake. Soon, even their pants are gone, nothing separating their heated skin from each other.

_"Sasuke…"_ It is a sigh of longing and pleasure as the man in question found _that_ spot just underneath his ear and was nibbling, sucking on sensitive flesh. He arched his back again and Neji briefly wondered when was the last time any of his prior lovers, the short encounters that they had been, had ever made him feel quite like this.

Fingers dug into wide shoulders and he tilted his head for better access. This will possibly be the last time they will have the opportunity to share their bodies with each other; the Hyuuga knows that more than likely he will not be permitted to follow even though he truly desires to.

Strong arms wrapped around his shoulders and the long haired male found himself being lifted up. Those same arms trailed down to his legs, guiding them to wrap around a thin waist. His arousal was now pressing against his lover's stomach but that did not affect him so much as the hand that was drifting down his back and lower, his other arm keeping him pinned.

Wrapping his arms around wide shoulders, deep silver locked with obsidian and there were so many emotions underneath the obvious lust and desire. At this point, he could admit to himself that he liked that look in his lover's gaze…a lot.

Uchiha looked up at him briefly. "I want to see you." Lips brushed along his torso just as saliva-slick fingers found his entrance. There was a sharp cry of pleasure, and this time he threw his head back, rocking his hips. "I want to see you while riding me." The voice was deep and husky, thick with lust.

Leaning forward, long brown hair moved over them like a veil as its owner framed Sasuke's face in his hands, kissing him hard in response.

xxxxx

Something was shaking her.

"Hm?" There was a small yawn and then immediately her chakra flared out in a series of very small waves as she tried to reorient herself. The 'images' that were brought back to her were rather blurred and unfocused, but that was to be expected since she wasn't using all of her senses to 'see'.

With a small sigh she sat up, pulling back the covers. It was one of the other children, although this particular person's chakra felt very familiar. Black, sightless eyes blinked and then she slid from the bed, bare feet settling on the ground.

The world came into focus then as she pushed chakra through her feet and out, all of her other senses coming together in a series of vague shapes and lines. She was used to it now and it was no longer disorienting. As long as she didn't use too much of her chakra or didn't try to run long distances she was fine. The latter part she was working on. When papa came back for her he would need for her to run probably and she didn't want to hold him back.

The one thing she could not discern was people. It was a bit too difficult for her to accurately read chakra to a point where she could truly separate someone from another, and it didn't help that almost all of the children seemed to be related in some way or another. The chakra patterns tended to be familiar with only a hint of a separate individual beneath. This person, however, his chakra was familiar, _too_ familiar.

A hand, small and warm, touched her arm gently. Since she could feel no malice coming from the person she allowed him to slide his hand down to her wrist, upturning her palm. Then he began to do something that stunned her almost to tears.

_Kira, it's me._ _We have to leave now._

When they had only been three, going on four, Kira and her twin brother had developed a system in which they could communicate silently. She had never taught it to anyone else nor told anyone else so…

"Keisuke?" Her tiny voice was watery and she blinked back tears. He…was alive?

_There are a lot of strange shinobi here._ His hands traced and tapped lightly on her palm. They had a more sign-language type of system as well, but they hadn't wanted to make it too obvious, so they had come up with this one as well. _I want to get you out of here._

There was a small tug on her wrist but she didn't move. There were too many questions and she was too confused. "Strange shinobi?" Risking tiring herself her small hands moved in a series of rapid seals and her chakra flared out exponentially.

Half of the building came into focus briefly and she burned everything she learned into memory before stopping the jutsu, swaying slightly. It wasn't perfect and it used up too much chakra but she realized her brother was correct. There_ were_ foreign shinobi and they were very quickly dispatching all of the mercenaries and guards, meaning that they were no pushovers. An elite force perhaps? But why? What would they want with a stronghold full of children?

Her brother steadied her and she could feel him tracing and lightly tapping on her arm with slight urgency. _We have to go, Kira._

Wait. "Why aren't you talking?" Her tiny brows furrowed in confusion. "You don't have to be quiet…" She was cut off as his next words stunned her.

_I'm mute._ Gently she felt his hands take hers and press them against his throat. There it was. A horrid and jagged scar, as if someone had crudely tried to cut his throat. _I escaped that night but they found me…Kabuto told me you two were dead and so I tried to kill myself because I didn't want to go back._ _Somehow…I survived and was brought back anyway_.

He tugged again but she still didn't move. The tugging became insistent but she didn't want to go just yet, something didn't feel right. "How did you escape?" That didn't make sense, he couldn't have done it on his own.

Keisuke didn't answer and so she shook her head rather stubbornly. "These shinobi…maybe papa is with them. I want to wait and see."

The grip on her hand tensed to the point of pain and she whimpered slightly, trying to pull her hand back. He was angry; why was Keisuke angry? This time he didn't tug gently. He all but began to drag her out of her room and she couldn't fight him. He felt so much stronger than her.

The entire place was in a state of chaos. Children were all over the place running and shouting and none of the adults were around at the bottom level. Because he was dragging her and there was so much going on she actually had to stop 'seeing' because it was taking too much effort. Now she was truly blind and her brother was practically bruising her wrist.

She stumbled a few times and he wasn't exactly gentle and helping her regain her balance. She had stubbed at least two toes on each foot and she was growing frightened. She had become complacent with her abilities and being unable to 'see' was highly uncomfortable; she didn't like depending on people to help her. She didn't _trust_ people enough to have them help her. The only person she could trust was papa and…she had thought Keisuke until now. There was something off about him that she couldn't explain.

The outside air was cool and damp when they finally made it topside and with Kira's superior hearing she knew there was fighting going on in the distance. This meant that they had not taken the main exit.

_Come on._ One hand had a tight hold on her wrist and the other was using his other to 'speak' to her. _We need to go now._

"Go where?" They were seven years old. Where in the world were they going to go? They had nothing to their names. She shook her head and tried to take a step back but the grip tightened even more and then she sensed it. The 'strangeness' about his chakra. It wasn't strange at all; she _knew_ this chakra.

A grunt emerged from Keisuke when his twin struck out at him and he had been forced to release her or take a blow to the temple.

"You're not my brother." She wasn't sure how that person had been able to fool her with her brother's chakra but…

"No, I _am_ Keisuke." The voice was strong but definitely a young boy's. So the claim of being mute had been a lie. There was something wrong about his voice though. She couldn't place it "I've just…had some improvements made."

She wanted to cry. This person, he wasn't her brother, no matter what he said. "What do you want with me, Kabuto?"

There was silence. Biting her lip she took a step back and then her brother started laughing. "I can see you don't get it yet." Tension filled the air. "I didn't lie to you. I _did_ try to kill myself when that snake caught me and I did actually die. He brought me back to life somehow; I guess he knows medical jutsu or whatever.

"After that, he locked me away in some laboratory and tried to 'fix' me. He gave me my voice back and told me that if I cooperated in one of his experiments he'd let me see you. He said it was different from anything he had tried yet and he had a feeling I could handle it. So I did it, but he lied. He never let me see you."

Faster than she could react he grabbed her wrist again. "I came back for you, Kira. I don't know what happened, all I remember is waking up, the lab was destroyed and Kabuto was gone. It took me a really long time to find this place Ki and I'm not leaving without you."

She still didn't feel right and she tried to pull out of his grasp again. "But papa…"

Something very angry and dark flared and she found herself being pulled up close to her brother. She could feel his nose only inches from hers. "_Screw_ father. I don't remember much but he…" There was a very tense pause. "I tried to call out to him that night. He was there. I kept calling and calling because I was having a hard time getting out but when he looked at me…"

He pulled her hard. "He _left_ me!" There was anger and pain there. "He looked right at me Kira and _left me_ there. I don't know why but he doesn't love us anymore and I don't care. It's been us from the beginning…that's all we need."

Kira shook her head. "He wouldn't do that…" Their father wouldn't have abandoned Keisuke, she knew that. "Something must have been wrong. Maybe he didn't see you like you thought. Was he injured? M-maybe he went blind like me and…"

"He was…half blind…" It was said reluctantly. "Something had sliced his face where his eye was pretty badly but…" She felt his body move as he shook his head. "No, we have to go now, Kira. I can feel those guys getting closer. I can protect you now. I think that snake gave me some of his powers. I think that's how he kept me alive."

"Why did you have me believe you were mute?" It was blurted out abruptly.

Once more there was silence. When he spoke again his voice was very low and very dark. "You still ask a _lot_ of questions Kira." It was a warning. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but you're _going_ to come with me. I didn't damn near kill myself trying to come get you to leave without you. We're leaving and…I'm going to fix your eyes."

Startled, she shook her head. "H-how?" Nothing he was saying made any sense; how in the world was a seven year old going to fix her eyes?

"I met someone," he explained. "They used to work for some guy named Orochimaru. _He_ was the one who helped me escape when _father_ abandoned me. Us. He took care of me and he knew a lot about father before we were born. He's not…what we thought he was. He couldn't come with me. His body is too weak, but he said if I brought you to him he could heal you." There was a tense pause and she could hear the plea in his voice. "_Please_ Kira, you're all I have."

Orochimaru. That name sounded familiar. It brought unpleasant feelings and there was just something about Keisuke's story that didn't seem right to her. How had some random stranger found that lab? If they rescued Keisuke that meant he might not have been trapped long, but if he had no connections to Kabuto _how_ had he known? She refused to believe the man had possibly been just stopping by, that was unrealistic.

And then the last point, if he was so weak, how had he been able to pull her brother out of wherever it was he had been struggling to escape from? After dealing with lies, tricks, and fake promises all of her life when it came to Kabuto, it seemed too coincidental. And the man had obviously told her brother things to further make him dislike their father, so he was definitely not trustworthy.

Her thoughts must have been visible because he tugged on her again. "Don't abandon me. I promise he won't hurt you; he's helped me so much these past few months and…"

"Come with me," she offered instead. "Papa's here; I _know_ he is…I don't know how but…I don't trust the person you're talking about. I don't think he's a good person like you say he is. No one does something for nothing. I…don't think he saved you because he took pity on you."

When she pulled away this time he let her go. Both children could sense something coming towards them and fast. She thought Keisuke would have gotten angry with her but all of a sudden the anger and hostility she sensed turned into grim determination.

"You won't believe me until I show you," he concluded. "I'll come back for you and…" Then he was there and she felt warm hands frame her face before she felt him brush his lips with hers. "I'll prove to you our father was nothing but a fraud. Then it'll be just us again."

And just like that he was gone; she couldn't even sense his chakra. The girl hugged herself. It was a little cold out and she was only wearing the thin pajamas they forced the children to wear. The fighting was dying down and she could hear the children above ground. That person was almost there and she tensed, praying and hoping to whatever gods out there that she was right, that her father really and truly was out there.

When she heard the person land near her she was able to determine that it was a male, tall and with a rather regal presence to him. He was panting slightly and when she flared out her senses she found that there was a certain amount of chakra concentrated around his eyes. That wasn't what bothered her the most.

"You…smell like my father."

She felt the wind as he knelt in front of her. Yes, he definitely smelled like her father…and something else. "You are Kira then, I take it?" When she didn't answer, he stood. "He told me that you probably wouldn't trust anyone but him, so if you don't mind waiting, I'll signal for him. He is nearby. You may run if you wish and I will not stop you, but indulge me for five minutes."

He did not come near her but she could feel his gaze on her. It didn't feel bad, not like it did when one of the guards looked at her. It almost felt…kind. "How did you find me?"

"Like your father, I also have a bloodline limit. It allows me to see great distances." She could feel amusement coming from him. "I am technically not even supposed to be here but…let's just say I called in a favor or two." he made a series of hand seals and she felt something flare and then lift up into the air.

"My name is Hyuuga Neji," he introduced politely. "I am a shinobi from Konoha. More than likely, your father didn't tell you of it because he didn't remember, but it is his place of birth. He has been with us for the past few months; he has amnesia." When she tensed he continued. "But he did not forget you. That is why we are here. For you and the other children."

Kira would have responded but right then there was a familiar flare of chakra and she 'saw' him. He seemed so much bigger and stronger than she remembered but she knew that chakra. There were soft footsteps and then a warm hand, a warm _familiar _hand, took hers.

"We're going home," her father said and she finally wept.


	10. Chapter 10

10

xxxxx

If one had ever asked Neji if he had imagined himself as a father, he would have shrugged and said 'No' quite plainly. He had dedicated his life to ANBU, being a father was impossible. No woman in their right mind married ANBU unless they were ANBU themselves. After he had hit the age of twenty three, he had found himself completely uninterested in settling down. When he made captain all thoughts of having a family were abandoned. It wasn't as if he had ever truly held feelings for anyone in any case. 

Now, he was almost twenty seven years old and all he could do was smile at the scene on his boyfriend's bed. They had been traveling for days, having left once Sakura had given Sasuke's daughter the clear to leave. The other children were being taken care of and they would be arriving en masse within a few days. No one had really spoken on the way back, there hadn't really been a need for words. Since his lover had acquired his daughter, he had yet to let her out of his sight, or his arms for that matter. Even now the two of them were sleeping, Sasuke's arm wrapped securely around his little girl, her back pressed to his chest as she slept peacefully. 

He was tired; they had traveled non-stop. Sasuke had refused to relax until he had Kira behind Konoha's gates and in his apartment where he knew she would be safe. Neji could understand. All the other previous attempts to take his children and start a new life with them had ended up in failure.

When he had told Sasuke that he would return later the Uchiha had given him a rather upset look, which was now why he was standing in his boyfriend's bedroom and not in his own apartment. He wanted to sleep on the couch and had made the attempt, only to fail for sleep eluded him. Sleeping on the bed with father and daughter seemed…not right. He was Sasuke's lover, but they had only been together for a little over a month, regardless of the intense and undeniable feelings they held for each other.

The girl hadn't seemed adverse to his presence, but she had been too preoccupied with clinging to her father to really care about anything or anyone else. Neji felt that this was a moment that belonged to them and yet Sasuke refused to allow him to back away. 

"How long are you going to stand there watching?" Pale eyes blinked as a dark eye opened and Sasuke looked up at him. There was a small shift and he sat up slightly, careful not to jar the girl. Not that he would have. Ever since she had arrived at the apartment and her head had hit the pillow, she had been out for the count. Considering her too pale complexion and the slight bags under her eyes, the sleep she was getting was probably the first real amount of sleep she'd had in a long time. The Uchiha looked down at his daughter briefly, brushing away stray strands of hair from her face. "You afraid I'm going to bite now?" He raised his eyebrow and Neji tilted his head at him. 

"Don't be absurd." He smirked. "Besides, I'd bite back." 

"Promise?" The two smiled at each other and there was a companionable silence. After a moment, Neji finally gave into the silent command and walked over to the bed, sitting down near Sasuke's legs so as not to bother the girl. 

"She is beautiful, by the way," the Hyuuga said honestly. He had never thought much of children, not even when he had been a child himself, but there was something about the little girl. Perhaps it was the fact that his feelings for Sasuke made him see the girl in a different light.

Her hair was black with a slight blue tint to it and her eyes were also obsidian, not grey like Sasuke had claimed. She was paler than her father – which was saying a lot – and her bangs were almost exactly like his, coming down to frame a round face. The long hair Sasuke had spoken of had been cut very short, almost as short as Hinata's hair had been when she had been a girl – Sasuke had _not_ been happy about that. "I can also tell she's very intelligent; she has a certain air about her." 

"Hn." Sitting up straighter Neji flashed his lover a small smile when he felt a warm hand move up his arm. "That means a lot, thanks." His gaze went back to the girl. "I keep looking at her and I feel like if I blink she'll be gone. The fact that I'm _looking_ at her is…" He shook his head. "She and Keisuke were all I had." 

"I am truly happy for you, Sasuke." He put a hand through thick black hair. He was given a rather strange but intense look at that moment. He blinked again when a warm hand cupped his cheek. Pulling him forward, he was kissed briefly before Sasuke opened his mouth to speak. 

"Neji…I –" He paused and both males looked down at the stirring seven year old. Panic filled Neji, a sense that he shouldn't be there. When he tried to get up Sasuke clamped a hand on his shoulder, frowning slightly. 

"I…I should…" he began, feeling slightly tongue-tied. How could he explain it to him? Neji was…just the boyfriend. He wasn't that girl's father and there was no telling if anything more would come out of their relationship. He wasn't…family. Maybe it was because he had been raised to feel that outsiders had no business involving themselves in family matters that he was like this, he wasn't entirely sure. 

"You should stay," his lover insisted, expression a mix of confused and slightly exasperated. For a second it looked like he was going to say more but refrained, turning instead to brush his hand along Kira's hair.

Unseeing eyes opened and blinked a few times before she let out a soft yawn. After a moment, she jerked and panic filled her. An arm came around her tiny frame and she relaxed, realizing it was her father. Silence filled the room as the girl slowly turned. Shaky hands moved to touch her father's face, to 'see' him as well as she could. Satisfied, she buried her face in his chest and he chuckled lightly.

Once again, Neji felt as if he were intruding on a sensitive moment. Once again, when he tried to move away, Sasuke shot him a look that clearly stated bad things would happen if he tried to bolt. Kira shifted then, turning her head and looking over unerringly at him. A light blush tinted her cheeks and she snuggled closer to her father, shy. 

_She reminds me of Hinata-sama,_ he thought fondly. "Hello again," he said politely, knowing that she knew he was there. Her abilities to use her chakra to 'see' with all of her other senses was rather developed. She also seemed to be able to 'read' chakra. It was rather odd…as if that sense replaced her sight. 

"Hello," she said softly. They hadn't spoken since the night he had found her. "You're the one that smells like papa. Hyuuga-san…" the last part came out almost like a question and he smiled slightly. 

"That is correct…well my name in any case. I'm not entirely sure if I wish to smell like your father or not –" He jerked slightly when he felt something pinch his arm rather hard. To his surprise she giggled. 

"Are you going to be staying with me and papa?" she asked, looking inquisitive before she turned her head up to her father. "Is he your boyfriend papa?" When both men stiffened she began to look confused. "B-because…when your chakra and Hyuuga-san's chakra are near it's like…" She interlaced her hands together. "And there's a really happy feeling." Smiling demurely, she snuggled back against her father and yawned. "It's warm." 

He had to admit he couldn't remember the last time he had blushed as horribly as he was blushing right now. Thankfully, Sasuke looked just as embarrassed and flashed Neji an uneasy look before tugging his daughter closer. "Yes, Neji and I are…together. Is that alright with you?" 

There was another yawn and she nodded. "Hyuuga-san feels really nice, not like the guards at the compound." The next words she said were rather unintelligible as she fell back to sleep. 

Now he felt very, very uncomfortable, although strangely pleased as well. He felt it was because his daughter had accepted him so easily. Neji had been worried she would possibly hate him or perceive him to be a threat for her father's attentions. 

Standing, he moved to head out and grab something to eat or drink and put some space between them. Arms suddenly wrapped around his middle, startling him. No matter how many times he told himself that he needed to get used to Sasuke's random ability to be extremely fast, it still always unnerved him slightly. The grip around him tightened just a bit. 

"I'm…sorry she made you uncomfortable. She didn't mean anything by it." 

It took a moment for Neji to realize what Sasuke was implying. He had been caught off guard by the hesitant and guarded note initially. Turning, he faced the raven-haired male and started. Sasuke wouldn't look at him; his gaze kept shifting nervously and his posture was tense.

He looked hesitant and slightly…afraid. 

His lover had seemed so confident about his feelings towards him and had been a rather strong pillar of support, that Neji had forgotten that Sasuke had insecurities about their relationship. Now that he was looking at him, those insecurities were quite serious. He did put up a brave and convincing front, but he was scared. 

"I am not going anywhere," he assured the other, putting his arms around his waist. "But I also haven't eaten in the past thirty six hours." He smiled slightly. "Hungry?" 

At first Uchiha stared at him, as if Neji had said something baffling. A small smile played on his lips after a moment but he still wouldn't meet his gaze and the smile faded. "Neji –" 

Tilting his head, he cut Sasuke off with a kiss, pulling him close. It had started out simple and then he gripped his lover hard, deepening the kiss. Sasuke made a small noise in the back of his throat before returning the kiss in earnest, easily obliging when Neji coaxed his lips open. His tongue slipped in, possessive, dominant. Then they were clinging almost desperately to each other, hands moving over arms, stomachs, chests, backs. When they parted they were breathless but Neji recovered first. 

"I'm not going anywhere," he insisted and kissed him again.

xxxxx

_Hinata-san,_

_I had decided that since I've lived in the hot and dry lands of Suna all of my life that I would visit a land that was completely opposite. I have been to the land of Iron once before the war began and I've learned that remembering the cold and going through it are two completely different things. Although Snow Country is very beautiful, I find it much more enjoyable from inside a heated room with a hot cup of tea. Unfortunately, their tea is not nearly as good as yours. I should have taken you up on your offer to take some of your blends with you when you had offered._

_I am not entirely sure if I like snow. It is beautiful, white and pristine with a soft glow when sunlight hits it. It is softer and less coarse than sand, but mixing the two ends with somewhat messy results. Despite its beauty, the snow and cold makes the land difficult to live in. One can die for overheating; one can also die from the cold. Both are harsh environments and yet I prefer the heat – I suppose there's a bit of a bias there. _

_The people here are kind and inviting, a little different from my home. I am currently in a village that was having difficulties with hunting and was concerned about having enough food for the blizzard season. I went with the hunting parties for a week or so and we were able to rectify this. I will be here for another month or so because it is unsafe to travel at the moment._

_The food here is also interesting. I think I like squid a lot. You have seafood in Konoha don't you? I think I would like to try it upon my return._

_I hope you are doing well; I think about you often. Were you able to claim the children? Even if Uchiha does not take the clan as his own I know you will care for them. You will make a wonderful mother someday._

_I will write again in a few weeks. Until then._

xxxxx

"So, how're the kids doing?" 

With a small smile, Hinata led the Hokage through the former branch house. "It's only been two months, but many of them are adjusting well," she was pleased to report. It had taken the children a while to understand that they were actually free. Not just free but genuinely cared for. None of them had ever known love, affection, or kindness and they soaked up the attention like sponges when the women and elderly began to dote on them. There were still a handful that was distrustful, but they were quickly waning. 

Surprisingly, there had been no reports of any rebellions or lashing out against the elders or each other. They were all rather well behaved and highly disciplined because of their rigorous training. Most of it was just due to their age, they were too young to really cause too many problems and only a small percentage of them were past the age of four. There were _countless_ toddlers, no newborns and quite a few below the age of two.

There wasn't a single one of them without black hair and eyes and it wouldn't take people long to figure out they were Uchiha. Many of the boys looked too much like Sasuke for it to be coincidence. There were more boys than girls and from what ANBU had acquired from the compound, it had been done that way on purpose. Kabuto seemed to have only wanted enough females for suitable breeding purposes when they came of age, so many of the girls had been sent to be experimented on. Of course none of the children he had worked on lived.

The pregnant women were living in the hospital and undergoing serious therapy. Out of the five, one had given birth two weeks ago and unsurprisingly fell into postpartum depression. The child, a girl, was being tended to by the nurses at the hospital. 

"All of the older children have been really excited about the lessons they've been getting from the caretakers. They're learning how to read. None of them could, and we've been allowing them to play in the gardens and our training grounds whenever they don't have lessons or anything else important." She sighed happily. "Just letting them go out and play has done so much for their mood and helping them to adjust here." 

The blonde gave her a huge grin. "That's awesome Hinata-chan, but that's to be expected since it's you." He chuckled when her cheeks turned bright red in embarrassment. "You've always been good with kids; you'll be a great mom." 

"Th-thank you Naruto-kun…" No matter how many years went by and despite the fact that she no longer held romantic feelings for him, he still seemed to be able to get her to blush horribly at the drop of a hat. "B-but I'm a little worried…" 

Blue eyes blinked at her blankly for a moment before his expression turned strained. "Yeah, I know. Eventually they'll want to explore the village and eventually word will get out. We still haven't even told Sasuke. He thinks they're just a bunch of kids Kabuto kidnapped. I mean, I know we gotta tell him, but how do you go to a guy and say 'oh hey, that bastard who tortured you for ten years was also impregnating women and killing _your_ kids while you laid on an operating table'? I mean, these ain't small numbers Hinata-chan…" 

"I know…" She sighed. There was no real way to break the news to Sasuke and he _not_ freak out. Anyone would freak out with that sort of knowledge. In addition, they were still keeping the amnesiac in the dark about his past and the Uchiha had all but stopped asking. More than likely he didn't even want to know anymore. "And then there is his daughter. It's all so…so…" 

"Fucked up?" he offered and she nodded sadly. "Yeah, I hear ya, but what can we do? It's only been about six months since we brought Sasuke to the village and he's struggling just to figure out who he is and how he wants to live his life." He scratched the back of his head. "I wanna tell him everything, I really do, but it just seems too soon. It's kind of like it seems like he's still not comfortable in his own skin, you know?" 

Her smile was soft and warm; Naruto tended to be rather slow and oblivious to many minor things, but when it came to really important things he was very observant and reliable. "Um, so does that mean that you're not…trying to get him to remember anymore?" 

Naruto opened his mouth and then closed it, a sad expression on his face. "No…" He sighed. "Even though Granny told us that he'd never get his memories back, there were those times when he'd do or say something...I gotta admit, me and Sakura were…" 

Gently, she put a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. "I understand, Naruto-kun. You didn't mean to hurt Uchiha-san. It had just…brought hope that maybe Tsunade-sama was wrong." 

The smile he gave her was rather lopsided. "Yeah, that's pretty much it. Kakashi kept telling us too, but we couldn't help it. Now it's gonna take a while for us to actually become real friends with _this_ Sasuke. I think he kind of started hating us for a while…that kind of sucked." He looked genuinely remorseful. "But at least his ninja skills aren't dead!"

Just like that he had cheered himself up. "He's pretty much back on track with a solid understanding of shinobi basics and it's like his body is just waiting for his mind to catch up. He'll definitely be really close to how powerful he had been back then." 

"I'm happy to hear that, Naruto-kun." Her smile was much brighter; it was difficult not to be all smiles around someone as bright as the Hokage. She escorted him to the gates, listening to all of Sasuke's improvements and skill and how he was looking forward to really sparring with the Uchiha soon. 

"I'll be stopping by in another few days with Sakura, okay?" he promised. "She wants to do a check up on the kids. I think she's dragging Ino along too." There was a small pause and then he looked at Hinata. "I know the hospital had Neji take a longer leave of absence because of what was going on with him but he was cleared yesterday so…" 

She nodded "Yes, I was told. I spoke to him about it briefly. I met him at Uchiha-san's house and we had dinner." 

He gave her a look. "Huh? Why was Neji at Sasuke's?" 

The Hyuuga head just stared at him for a moment in disbelief. "I…um…I t-thought you knew…" When his response was to give her his squinty eyed look and tilt his head, she coughed politely and turned her head to the side. "Uchiha-san and Neji-niisan are living together; niisan moved in a week ago." 

He was also seriously contemplating leaving ANBU but she wasn't going to tell Naruto that, just in case he changed his mind. 

"_I am not getting younger, Hinata-sama and now I find myself with someone I…I care deeply for and he…" Neji looked up at the night sky. "He wants me to be a part of his family. This idea was terrifying to me at first, but now I'm not so sure. I see the haunted look in his eyes when I awaken from my nightmares at times and I find myself detesting it because I know how he feels. It's the same feeling I have when his nightmares plague him." With a sigh he closed his eyes. "And then there is the fact that besides Kira I am…to him…"_

"They're um…together, Naruto-kun," she finished and his eyes widened in shock. 

"What?" he exclaimed sharply, making the guards jump and give him looks. With an apologetic grin he turned back to Hinata. "But I thought Neji told him the truth about that whole being lovers thing. What happened?" 

With a small giggle she tilted her head slightly. "They became lovers." 

"They did_ what?"_

xxxxx

Obviously someone was talking about him because he couldn't stop sneezing. Slightly annoyed, Neji reached up to grab the seasonings he would need for their lunch when he sensed Kira enter the kitchen. Of course, she never wore shoes so her little feet were slapping loudly against the tile and she had a small smile on her face as she often did. Although she did use her chakra to move around, she also remained close to the walls and other surfaces that had been arranged specifically for her needs. 

Walking around the tall wooden island the seven year old tilted her head in Neji's direction as if listening. "Do you have a cold Neji-san?" 

"I do not." he answered politely and began to season a bowl full of meat. He really hoped he was doing this right. Hinata had shown him once and he was sure he had remembered it. If not, then he would just hope that he wouldn't kill anyone through food poisoning. "There is a saying where if you sneeze three times in a row, or if you find yourself sneezing quite frequently for no reason, that it is a sign someone is talking about you." 

"Oh." Her hands reached out and she took two steps forward, leaning against the counter a few feet away from Neji. "Is it true?"

"Hm. I suppose it's all in what you wish to believe. Many people are superstitious of certain things, but not others. It has some merit, but it's more than likely coincidence as opposed to anything supernatural or otherwise at work." 

She nodded and didn't say much else after that but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. In the two months that he had come to know the little girl he realized several things. For one, she was extremely observant of _everything_ around her and had no problems asking questions…sometimes to the two males' dismay. Secondly, she was extremely intelligent and while kind and optimistic, she could also be quite shrewd and disbelieving of anything that didn't make logical sense to her. In that sense they got along swimmingly.

They did not talk often, but when they did it was never strained or forced. Kira only approached him if she had something she wanted to say and he was polite and answered any of her questions with stark honesty. Mostly, she observed him through his interactions with Sasuke. According to her father, she really liked him and was happy that he was with her father as the two males obviously seemed very happy with each other. 

It was true, for the most part. Neji was well aware of the fact that Sasuke wanted him to be a permanent part of his life and that he loved him. While Neji was content with living with the two of them – after much discussion and arm twisting – he did not wish to describe his feelings as love. Not yet. Their relationship was still very new and Hyuuga could admit that he was incredibly happy.

If he dismissed logic and caution he could even say that he loved Sasuke, but many people jumped too quickly to say the word 'love' in the beginning of a blissful relationship and he didn't want to do that to the Uchiha. What if he was just living in the moment because of how things came to pass? More time would be needed before he would fully throw caution to the wind and go with the flow. 

Sasuke still had an inferiority complex and a bit of a self-esteem problem which definitely made its way into their relationship frequently. There was the constant fear that Neji would leave him or find him lacking in some way. It was annoying, not because Sasuke felt that way but because he had been _made_ to feel that way. That his current personality wasn't as desired as his past self's'.

All of Uchiha's little quirks and insecurities were the direct result of poor handling of the amnesiac's feelings and experiences. It didn't help that he knew the villagers all but hated him. His lover refused to leave his house unless it was at night and far away from areas where people would normally congregate. He was incredibly paranoid because of it and so Kira also did not leave the grounds unless Neji was with her. Even then the Uchiha fretted, although he never complained.

Neji had to go out and buy everything needed for the house during the day and he had only taken the girl a few times before she had been too overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people all around her to keep focus. The first time Neji had brought the unconscious girl home from when she had fainted and that had been…well not pretty. Sasuke had given him the silent treatment for two days. 

His nightmares and hallucinations had pretty much calmed down to a point where he could meditate. Now he was doing what he always did, locking away the memory until he had need of it again. Neji had been cleared from the hospital and he would have to go and speak to Naruto concerning his active status.

Sasuke's nightmares were still frequent and there had been many, many times where he would get up frequently during the night to go and make sure his daughter was still asleep and safe in her bed. Eventually, Neji had just told Sasuke to have the girl sleep with them until he could calm down because it had been turning him into an insomniac. 

This, of course, had placed a solid halt in the intimacy department. But even without it, Neji felt highly uncomfortable doing anything sexual with his lover while Kira was in the house. The girl was seven, blind, and had _exceptional_ hearing. For Neji that was just…weird and very uncomfortable. After about two weeks of that both Neji and Sasuke discovered – to Neji's complete amusement – that the latter became rather irritable and almost pouty when neglected affection for too long.

Sasuke had _not_ thought it amusing that Neji had found it amusing and he had to admit that had been an interesting few weeks. Poor Kira had been so confused with her father's odd mood swings and Neji's amusement from it. 

Although Sasuke had a lot of weird quirks and issues that would take time to settle, it did not bother Neji at all. He knew and understood why his lover was the way he was and he had infinite patience when it came to things. It was probably the reason he had found some of Sasuke's actions amusing instead of upsetting. 

Arms came around his middle and the long haired brunette smiled as the object of his thoughts and affections pulled him close, looking down at his daughter. "Did you sleep well?" 

Smiling, the little girl nodded. "Yes, papa. I like sleeping with you and Neji-san…it's nice." 

Although she couldn't see it, her father smiled at her before turning his head to murmur in Neji's ear. "What are you making? It's eight in the morning." 

"I am making a dish called 'meatloaf'. Hinata-sama gave it to me so that we could have something for the picnic…" He turned his head to get a better look at Sasuke. "You didn't forget it was today, did you?"

He had, the Hyuuga observed. That happened at times as well; Sasuke had a photographic memory but there would be times when he would just…forget. Tsunade wasn't sure if it was from Kabuto's meddling or something internal, but it wasn't anything horrible so she had dismissed it.

Unfortunately, this time it had been something rather important, as it had taken Neji a good three days to coax Sasuke into being comfortable enough to go out during the day _and_ be surrounded by all of his 'old friends' for a few hours. Judging by the way he was currently tensing and how he had backed away slightly nervous, Neji knew it was going to be a fight. 

Thankfully, Kira saved the day. Her face lit up and she took a step forward, reaching for her father's pant leg. "Papa, Hinata-san said that Akio-kun would be there. Is he still going? Will he be there?" 

Akio was Kurenai's son, and the two had met when Hinata had stopped by for a visit, and the boy had been curious. The three year age difference between them didn't seem to bother either child and they had quickly become the best of friends. She also had a little crush on him, but that was something only Neji knew and had promised not to tell Sasuke. They both knew he wouldn't take _that_ sitting down.

Fortunately, Kira had her father wrapped around her little finger unknowingly and after a moment of tense silence he sighed. "I'm sure he will be; we'll find out once we get there." 

Smiling, Neji turned back to his work. If it was always going to be this easy to get Sasuke to agree to something he and Kira would need to have a rather long talk in the future. 


	11. Chapter 11

AN: The note below doesn't really concern updates for _Anchor_, as the fic is already complete, but I'm posting it anyway.

For those who possibly have ALL of my fics on their alerts, you'll probably see this message a few times. I apologize. Any important updates related to the fic will be up top.

So, I've been silent for a little bit. There's a reason for this. I've been trying to get my novels published and finally, after a lot of hard work, networking, and what have you, I've accomplished my lifelong dream.

I am now an _author_ with Silver Publishing. My novel, _Destined_ was accepted. There are no words to express how I feel about this beyond "Excited as fucking hell." There will be more on my profile, for those interested, but the bottom line is that fanfiction will be taking a back seat for a bit while I go through editing. I have a lot of work ahead of me. **I am not giving up on fanfiction.** But it doesn't pay the bills, and it certainly isn't _mine_, unlike my own works. Just expect really, really, _really_ slow updates.

I hope you guys who love my fanfiction will give my novel a try and thank you all so much for your patience so far. I appreciate it.

xxxxx

11

"Are you…sure you're alright with this?" Neji asked, frowning slightly at how tense his lover was.

_Perhaps I…should have cancelled,_ the Hyuuga thought, concerned. Emotionally, the Uchiha had gone through a lot in the past almost six months; a good bit of it still hadn't been resolved. He was highly uncomfortable around others and while everyone at the picnic knew of his situation there was the fact that _he_ did not know many of the people who were going to be there personally…but they definitely knew him. Neji was sure that no one would really approach Uchiha directly but…

"Oh! Over here you three!" Turning, his pale gaze settled on Kurenai who was at the tables, smiling warmly at them. Beside her was Akio, her ten year old son. The moment those big crimson eyes settled on Kira his face lit up and then he burst into a run, quickly covering ground. The young Uchiha blinked curiously and then smiled when she felt her friend's hands take hers in a tight grip.

"I'm so glad you're here Kira-chan." And indeed he looked quite happy. Neji had to raise an eyebrow at the boy. He was blushing horribly as he kept nervously looking down at their joined hands. Kira, of course, was absolutely oblivious to all of this although if she could have seen his face the Hyuuga was sure she'd be just as red. The two children had crushes on each other and he was only glad that Sasuke was too tense to really focus on it – he'd probably pull the boy to the side and that'd just be ugly.

"Akio-kun…" the young girl looked down, a little smile on her lips. "It's…good to see you."

She was adorably shy, and when he placed a hand lightly on her back, her smile widened just a bit. Kira wasn't his daughter but she was quickly becoming someone very important to him.

"Hey, hey!" The young boy tugged at her hands. "There's some really cool things I wanna show you…" Pausing, he looked up at Sasuke who was giving the boy a bland look. "Um…i-is it okay with you Uchiha-san…?"

Dark eyes drifted over to the small girl whose face had become carefully blank, not wanting her father to feel obligated to do anything for her. When the Hyuuga moved so that he was almost leaning on the Uchiha her father sighed before giving Akio a look.

"Don't let anything happen to my daughter," he said sternly and the boy nodded gravely, making him look slightly comical.

"I won't Uchiha-san, I promise. We won't go far so…"

His daughter tilted her head in his direction, her expression slightly worried. "Papa?" There was a small giggle when he placed his hand on top of her head.

"Go have fun," Sasuke told her and she flashed him a small but bright smile before being – surprisingly enough considering how eager he seemed – gently pulled by Akio off towards whatever it was he wanted to show her. He truly was very gentle with the blind girl and he held a solid grip on her hand. As Neji watched blandly as the children walked away he felt warmth at his back. Turning slightly, he took in his lover.

He was definitely stressed and unhappy but the Uchiha would do anything to see his little girl smile, even if it made him extremely uncomfortable. At least he was trying. That was a start.

"She needs friends," Kira's father said but he still looked uncomfortable. "I don't want to…"

"Hey you two," Kurenai approached them finally, gently taking Neji's small contribution of food. The Hyuuga noted the complete surprise on his lover's face when she smiled warmly at him. "Thank you for bringing Kira. She's all Akio's been talking about today. She's a wonderful girl and Akio doesn't have many friends, so thank you for allowing them to play together."

With Sasuke rendered speechless, Neji took his lover's hand and looked at Hinata's old sensei. "Kira also likes spending time with Akio. She doesn't have any friends at the moment. He's grown up well."

After she chatted with them for a minute more Neji turned, his free hand brushing along his lover's jaw. Said lover was frowning and still looked uncomfortable but smiled thinly at him. "Sorry."

Uncaring of how they probably looked to the others he pulled Sasuke closer, their bodies pressing together lightly as he faced the younger male. White eyes looked at him with concern. "Don't be. I should have made sure you remembered before today." Neji's back was now turned towards the group off in the distance, tilting his head so that their conversation would have some semblance of privacy. "I know how much crowds bother you…" They bothered him a _lot_. Ever since that day where Uchiha had walked through the marketplace and had dealt with the open hatred and hostility of the villagers, crowds became a very huge problem for him. The fallen avenger would become highly nervous and paranoid, feeling as if he were being talked about or was the center of the wrong kind of attention. If it had made him claustrophobic Neji wouldn't be surprised. His grip on Sasuke's hand tightened and he felt frustrated. It was going to take a very long time for the amnesiac to actually adjust to life in the village now because of all of the crap he had been subjected to when he had barely lived two weeks of his new life. Had they not gotten together the Uchiha more than likely would not have ventured out of his comfort zone as soon as he had.

"I'll be alright." Secretly he was glad when the short haired male leaned against him slightly. He wanted Sasuke to feel as if he could lean on him for support. "It helps to have you here." His gaze shifted at that admission and Neji smiled slightly. He stiffened slightly when the older male tilted his head and kissed him but it was only for a moment.

What was it about this man that made Neji feel so intensely? Was it because it was so painfully obvious that Sasuke needed someone? Was it because for the first time in his life he felt not only needed but wanted? He wanted to not only be there but in a way he also felt himself wanting to protect his lover. A lot of idiocy had almost destroyed any positive traits that could have developed for Sasuke and that didn't sit well with him. Never had he thought that he would feel so strongly for someone like he did the amnesiac. At first it had been a little frightening but now, after living with him for two months it was...right. Perfect. Normal.

The Hyuuga felt a familiar presence but did not turn towards the figure walking over to them. "Neji?" The voice was female and sounded very confused. "Is that…um, is that you?"

A small smile emerged. He could only imagine how the situation must look to her considering the fact that only a handful of people actually knew about his relationship with Sasuke. Turning, his face was a blank mask but he did not move away nor did he let go of his lover's hand. "Tenten," he greeted, the smile widening when she was unable to hide her obvious shock at the couple. Neji tightened his grip on Sasuke's hand, knowing the other was probably feeling extremely comfortable. "I see you've returned from your mission. How did it go?"  
"Uh…yeah. It went fine." Still confused she gave Sasuke a small but nervous smile before giving Neji a look that clearly showed she had no idea what the hell he was doing or thinking. The Hyuuga remained unrepentant. "Shikamaru is leaving in another day or so. It's been a little hectic."

"I am sorry to hear that," he said genuinely. The two hadn't been married long but a lot of the missions that had been popping up had needed individuals with their skills, so they were out often. He turned to Sasuke. "This is Nara Tenten; she is my old teammate. You have seen a picture of her with Lee and Gai, but she was much younger there."

Recognition flickered. "Oh." Uchiha looked confused and then thoughtful for a second. "You're right."  
This made the woman laugh.

"If it's the picture I think it is – Neji I don't know why you keep that damn thing – then you probably didn't realize it was me because those two are very good at stealing the limelight with their eccentric tendencies."

A small smile emerged. "You're right," he agreed and after a few more words were exchanged the two were alone again.

"Come, Hinata-sama has saved a spot for us." Neji moved to walk over but saw the strange look on his boyfriend's face. "Something wrong? You look upset."

"Why do people keep looking at us like we're some sort of mystery?"

Blinking, pale silver looked around and indeed Sasuke was correct. They were being discreet about it but a few individuals – some of them naturally nosey – were looking at the two of them with obvious surprise and confusion. He thought this was amusing but the Uchiha looked tense and uncomfortable.

"Are they looking at us like that because I'm with you?"

The smile faded for a moment. It was so easy to forget that this person had a rather dark past; the two personalities were so different. The smile reemerged, however, and he tugged on the other man, walking over to where his cousin sat. "That might be a part of it but mostly it's the other way around. We would be getting these looks even if it wasn't you by my side."

This of course confused his lover. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Neji stopped and looked at him again. "I am almost twenty-seven years old and you are the first person I have been in a relationship with. They are surprised that I am with someone because I have never shown an interest in relationships before."

Sasuke just stared at him. Putting it out like that, in retrospect, made Neji pause inwardly. He had been fine with casual flings every once in a while because of his position and because he hadn't wanted to be tied down. A real relationship hadn't been of any interest to him because he had held no intentions of even entertaining the thought of leaving ANBU for someone.

But wasn't that what he was doing now? He was in a relationship; one he had known would be very serious if pursued. Although Sasuke did not yet know of it, Neji had gone to Hinata, conflicted as to whether or not he wanted to remain in ANBU. He had, for the first time, seriously considered leaving. He still was. He wanted to become a solid part of his lover's life, including being around for Kira.

_Have I been deluding myself about the severity of my relationship and feelings?_ Not even a few hours ago he had told himself that he didn't want to claim to be in love because the relationship was so new and people tended to jump head first into things. But Neji wasn't twenty, he was twenty-six and had held no prior relationships and hadn't been interested in starting one. Everything involving Sasuke brought so much emotion and feelings that he had never entertained or felt for anyone else. Considering the type of person he was, Neji could not dismiss the significance of his actions. Even now, at this picnic, all he wanted to do was get his lover alone and away from the others, to give him support and…

_Am I…truly in love with him?_

Eventually the Uchiha looked away, embarrassed and unsure of how to respond to Neji's confession. Slightly confused and conflicted himself the Hyuuga continued on and Sasuke fell into step beside him, both men quiet.

_What do I want from this relationship? How far do I truly wish for it to go?_

When the first thing that popped into his mind was 'as far as it can go,' he knew he could no longer dismiss what was obviously there.

"Neji-niisan." Hinata stood and smiled at them as they approached, taking her cousin's free hand. She looked at Sasuke. "Thank you for coming, Uchiha-san," she said politely. "Niisan said that you're not very comfortable around crowds so we're separated from the group a bit. I hope that's alright with you."

She was right. Looking around, Neji noticed that they were in a position where not only were they a bit off from the rest but they could see everyone in the vicinity. Trust his cousin to do everything in her power to make the people around her more comfortable.

Since Sasuke did know and like Hinata his smile was a bit more genuine as the couple sat down with her. It was still cool although it was spring, and the field where they were having this get-together was beautiful. Most of the rookie nine was there and the Hokage had just arrived with an absurdly large stereo system that was being pulled along by a few unfortunate chunnin. Most of the crowd was also watching as Naruto set everything up and Neji found himself sighing, a hand moving over his face.

"He's going to try and destroy our eardrums, I just know he is." He shook his head. "Hinata-sama, tell me that blonde idiot does _not_ have a microphone on him. I will quite possibly kill him if he does."

His lover chuckled, leaning against him and Hinata was also giggling. "No, I don't think he does, Neji-niisan. I don't think Sakura-san would let him go that far."

"Was he always this eccentric?" the Uchiha asked. "I mean, the guy is loud in every way imaginable, clothes, voice…"

"Yes, yes he most certainly was." He smiled at Sasuke. "Hinata-sama here had the largest crush imaginable on him for _years_. I am still trying to determine whether or not it was temporary insanity or…"

"Niisan!" Her cheeks were bright red and she looked slightly pouty. "Please don't say that. Naruto-kun really is a wonderful person."

"Of course he is, Hinata-sama. I would not be in ANBU if I did not believe in his ability to protect and care for our village." There was a small pause. "But he's still an idiot."

Giving him a small look Hinata decided that she would converse with Sasuke instead since her cousin was being mean. "Have you and Kira-chan been able to settle into the new house, Sasuke-san?"

There was a small nod. "Yes, thank you for the furniture. Even though Kira can get around pretty well, it's good to know she won't have to worry about bumping against pointed objects."

She shook her head. "You don't need to thank me Sasuke-san. I'm happy I was able to help just a little. Kira is such a sweet girl."

A dark eye trailed over to where his daughter was. Akio was talking a mile a minute and he had yet to let go of her hand. She didn't seem to mind that he was doing all the talking. "Yes, she is."

It was then that Neji's attention was caught at the sight of a tall man with shades walking towards their little group. He was wearing a baggy jacket with the hood down, hands in pockets. Once more Hinata stood, walking over to her friend.

"Shino-kun," she greeted warmly, taking his hands. If he smiled no one saw it, almost his entire face was covered by the flared out neck of his coat. "I'm so glad you were able to make it. I know you had just finished your mission last night."

Adjusting his shades he inclined his head towards the two males before briefly before regarding Hinata. "This event only happens once a year," he explained. "And I missed it last time."

The Hyuuga head giggled, and while the two males behind her had no idea what she thought was so funny, Hinata knew her friend a little better. Shino _never_ liked being left out of things, especially if it involved something interesting. Last year had definitely been…interesting. "Kiba-kun is still out on his mission so it'll be just us, I'm afraid."

"One less loudmouth," was the curt reply and Hinata giggled again. The Aburame once more turned his focus to the two males. "Hyuuga. Uchiha," he greeted. "I have heard of your situation, Uchiha. I wish you luck on starting your new life. In case you were wondering, my name is Aburame Shino, Hinata's old teammate."

"Yeah…" Sasuke gave the man a look. "I'd introduce myself but everyone in the entire village knows me already."

The bug master shrugged. "I did not know Uchiha Sasuke prior to his departure, so any introduction would be a true one." That was all he said on the matter, sitting down beside Hinata and listening quietly as she started a conversation with him.

Neji could tell his lover was confused about the other male but only shook his head when a dark eye looked to him for a silent answer. Shino was Shino, it was better not to try and understand him too deeply.  
When the music was finally turned on it was exceedingly loud initially, which hadn't bothered Naruto at all until his wife all but caved his skull in and told him – screamed really – to be considerate of others and turn it down. He did, looking like a kicked puppy the entire time. Of course, Naruto was a huge bright blond-orange source of energy and soon perked himself up. He started trying to drag others out to dance and many of them were rather reluctant until he got them to eventually agree – it was less annoying to just go with whatever the Hokage wanted. As the day went on, food was served and people started becoming slightly intoxicated. Folks were a lot less reluctant and needed little persuasion about dancing. The four off towards the back were perfectly content in just watching thankyouverymuch and had no desire to join in the insanity.

Kira and Akio were off playing, or he was showing her some sort of jutsu, it wasn't quite clear which from the distance they were at. A few people had walked up to the little group to say hello and confirm up close what they were seeing from a distance. Neji was leaning back against Sasuke who had an arm around him and both had stared up at their visitors, their gazes reflecting bored detachment at genuine surprise. The Hyuuga was aware of the fact that Uchiha Sasuke was the last person on earth anyone would have imagined him with – and a few months ago he would have agreed whole heartedly. He wanted Sasuke to feel more comfortable around others and that wasn't going to happen if they tried to hide their feelings – he was paranoid enough as it was. Even if the Uchiha was unable to eventually shake off his fear of crowds, Neji at least wanted him confident enough to not be nervous being seen with his lover romantically.

No one congratulated them on their relationship. They were too stunned by the fact that it had actually happened. Ino, her blunt and open personality making her also somewhat tactless, had predictably freaked out. She had ended up pissing Sasuke off, not because she had said anything about him but the other way around. Apparently, he did not agree with her assessment that Neji appeared to be cold and unfeeling. He had also not been appreciative of the fact that she thought Neji was too much of a stick in the mud to have ever hooked up with anyone. It wasn't as if she was wrong; he did appear to be cold and unfeeling around most individuals. It had also been no secret that he had been very uninterested in any romantic relationship of any sort. Regardless, Uchiha had become so irritated that he had excused himself, standing up and saying that he was going to grab something to drink.

xxxxx

"Whoa!" Yamanaka Ino blinked at the sight before her. Was that really Hyuuga Neji _leaning against_ Uchiha Sasuke? Was that Sasuke with his arm around Neji? "And here I thought I'd seen everything. Ice cold Neji finally hooked up with someone? And Sasuke-kun no less!"

He had wanted to tell the woman to screw off when she had walked over and started talking to them. Sasuke was very upset. Who the hell did she think she was anyway to judge Neji? It was very obvious that she knew little to nothing about him and really he had found her annoying from the very beginning. Of course, the long haired male said nothing. In fact, he had looked amused at the accusations.

Walking towards the tables he tried to force himself to calm down a bit. He hadn't wanted to come to this place at all. Being around people made him very uncomfortable. Every time he was around a group of people it was like before all those months ago when he had heard the whispers. Traitor, murderer. At the time he had been extremely lost and confused about everything but that day he had been sure of one thing; he had no real friends in the village. Oh, the Sasuke before him did, that was obvious, but _this_ Sasuke, the person he was, not so much. Neji always told him that this wasn't the case but it was just too difficult to believe. The trust that could have been there had been destroyed early on. He trusted Neji not to hurt him emotionally. That was it.

That wasn't really the only reason, although it was a large one. Sasuke's dreams weren't getting any better and many of them were beginning to involve Kira. Around two weeks ago the dreams that he had felt had been memories changed. Instead of viewing bits and pieces of his past it was as if he was viewing his future. Dreams of Kira being taken away from him again, of her being killed. Dreams of being captured and tortured. There had even been a dream with Neji and that had…he didn't even want to think about it. The dreams were so real and he had yet to confide in his lover about them, too afraid that they could become real if he even so much as uttered the words. With no knowledge as to whether or not Kabuto was truly dead the threat of Kira being taken away was very real. It left him in a constant state of panic and fear. He tried hard not to show it because even if he was screwed up his daughter was actually beginning to have a normal life, and he didn't want to take that away from her. So he allowed her to go with Neji to play with Akio at Kurenai's, although that was the extent of his comfort concerning it. Akio had asked a few times for Kira to stay the night and he had flat out refused, not wanting to be away from her should something happen.

He'd die before he'd let Kabuto touch his daughter again. He didn't care _what_ he had to do.

At least she was happy at the moment. Akio seemed to really like her which made him a little more trustworthy in Sasuke's eyes. As for the adults…he really wanted to just go home. The entire day they had gotten strange looks and comments just for being together and it had made him very upset and a little stressed. He didn't like being the center of attention and it was irritating that people seemed to think so lowly of Neji and who he was as a person. It shouldn't really bother him, it didn't seem to bother Neji, but it was just…

_"I am almost twenty-seven years old and you are the first person I have been in a relationship with."_

Stunned was a slight understatement for what he had been feeling at that confession. It made him realize that while he did love Neji he still kept the man at an emotional distance. When the Hyuuga had said that Sasuke had been happy but he had also felt very wary. There was always the irrational fear that if he allowed himself to get too deep that he'd come out damaged, that eventually the two of them would part ways. He wasn't entirely sure why he felt this way because they had been together for months now, and if anything, Neji seemed more attached than distant. Insecurity perhaps?

"Hey! Sasuke!" He had just grabbed a soda when he saw the young Hokage rush over to him, a huge grin on his face. "Hey, it's cool that you came! This picnic thing, we do it once a year y'know? It's good to see ya here."

Smiling thinly the Uchiha gave a small nod. "Yeah. I've been sitting with Neji, his cousin, and Aburame."

The blonde gave him a funny look before chuckling lightly, shaking his head. "Man, can't believe you and Neji…Neji of all people! I'd thought for sure it'd be like, Ino or…"

He was drunk. It had taken Sasuke a moment to realize it but the other male had definitely hit the sake bottle a few times too many. Because of that he tried not to become too irritated. Naruto wasn't a bad guy, just sometimes clueless and eccentric as hell. "I like being with him," was what he eventually said. "He's not what everyone keeps saying he is."

Laughing, he patted Sasuke on the shoulder. "Of course not! Neji's a great guy. Really serious, but awesome. Honestly, I'm kinda glad he finally opened up to someone. He's always been closed off. Not rude, just hard to get close to."

Neji's words replayed in his mind. So was he really the first person the Hyuuga had allowed to become close to him? "He really hasn't been with anyone?"

"Nope! Guy refused to date, said he didn't want it to affect his position in ANBU. Trust me, his old team tried for _years_. So it's cool that you two like each other. Oh, hey!" A huge sly grin emerged and he latched onto the Uchiha's wrist. "You should dance with us! Maybe Neji'll jump in. Lee says the guy can dance but I totally don't believe him."

Paling, Sasuke tried to pull back, to no avail. The Hokage had a tight grip. "N-Naruto…" He tried to pull back again, his gaze looking over at the group full of people dancing to the music. Some of them saw him and gave him a smile and a wave, as if encouraging him. Instead of encouragement it felt as if he were being mocked and laughed at and his throat began to close up. He couldn't go in there. "I can't dance and I should get back…"

"You just move man, it ain't hard!" He was shouting now as they were close to the speakers. He was practically dragging the brunette at this point. "C'mon Sasuke! You don't have to be shy, no one's gonna care if you can't dance."

As he drew closer to the crowd he felt his heart rate jump and he began to look around frantically. From here he couldn't see the others or Kira, the latter bothering him the most. He didn't want her out of his sight and he _could not go in there._ "Naruto I can't." If he was heard the blonde didn't take notice. "Naruto!"

He was laughing as they moved into the center, still keeping a hold of Sasuke's wrist. Logically he knew that Naruto was trying to get him to open up and that he thought by being there Sasuke would feel comfortable enough to loosen up. He didn't know about the dreams, about his insecurities, his fears; Sasuke hadn't opened up to him at all emotionally. Naruto stayed close, of course, looking like a right idiot in his pitiful attempt at dancing but at that point Uchiha had stopped paying attention.

Voices, noises, people, _everywhere._ There was laughter, people smiling at him. All of it seemed fake to him. Everything was closing in and he could hear the whispers, could see the underlying fear in their eyes as they tried to pretend they weren't around a traitor and a murderer. They were laughing at him, laughing at the fact that he was nothing more than a confused amnesiac, pitiable, pathetic…

Darkness began to drift along the edges of his vision. His throat closed completely and he was having a hard time breathing. They kept drifting closer, touching him, mocking him, hating him. Where was Kira? He couldn't see her, was she safe? Were these people trying to separate them? Panic began to consume him and he felt dizzy and ill.

"Sasuke?" Vaguely he heard what sounded to be Naruto's voice but he wasn't sure. They were everywhere, pointing, laughing, cursing him…

Something gripped his wrist and he found himself being pulled hard out of the crowd. He was shaking and on the cusp of hyperventilating. It was as if his lungs couldn't get enough air and his throat was closed shut. His vision was blurry and he could still hear the laughter, could still feel them all trying to close in on him. He could still feel their steely, unforgiving gazes on him, judging him. Everything was blurring in together but whatever was gripping his wrist didn't feel bad and it didn't hurt.

"Kurenai, watch Kira." The command was sharp and the voice was familiar. It was Neji. "I'll be right back."

More murmurs but he couldn't discern them. It seemed that Neji's voice was the only one that stood out in his mind. He wanted him. They were all around, a sea of chaos, and he needed the Hyuuga. He needed his anchor. It didn't matter anymore the how and why or if any of it was even real, he just needed him.  
After that command Sasuke's mind slipped away from reality.


	12. Chapter 12

**12**

_Gaara,_

_I don't exactly have a lot of time here but…I was talking to Kankuro and something he told me…I'm just going come out and say it little brother._

_Sometimes, your happiness is what will make those who care about you happy. Sometimes it's good to be selfish and you haven't done that in a very long time. Trust me, the last thing you want is to wake up one day and regret what could have been. Think about it._

xxxxx

It was late afternoon and the music was still blaring off in the distance. He ignored it, however, for his complete and total focus was on the person trembling almost violently in his arms.

He was going to _kill_ Naruto. He didn't give a damn if the man had been drunk. Yes, he understood that Naruto had just wanted his friend to loosen up and enjoy himself. Had he been the old Uchiha he probably would have, or at the very least glared at Naruto until he got fed up enough to walk away. This wasn't the old Uchiha, this Sasuke did not have the arrogance and self-confidence his past self had. _This_ Sasuke was basically claustrophobic and paranoid as hell, with good reason. Not only that but he had already been high strung and uncomfortable about going to the picnic and – to his surprise – his lover had slowly but surely gotten pissed off at how everyone was so surprised that Neji had actually fallen for someone. The Hyuuga knew he wasn't unemotional but that _was_ what he presented to everyone. Sasuke didn't really know this because he had never really been like that with him. He had seen the side that Neji did not show to others so the 'cold' and 'unemotional' aspect of his personality didn't make sense to the Uchiha, and he had taken it as an insult on his lover. He kind of liked being fussed over but not if it contributed to this.

"S-sorry…" The sound was muffled as the Uchiha's face was buried in his lover's neck. Shaking his head Neji pulled him closer, one hand in the younger male's hair. They were a bit in the forest away from the others. The Hyuuga was leaning against a tree and was holding his boyfriend tightly in his arms.

"Don't apologize," he said firmly and turned his head so that his lips were near his ear. "You don't ever need to apologize to me, Sasuke."

Basically, the other man had ended up having an anxiety attack in the middle of the dance area. It was only because he had been watching Sasuke that he had seen what had happened, how Naruto had dragged the other man into the crowd. The moment he had seen that he had jumped up from his spot and did everything short of running to get to him. By the time he had reached the middle of the crowd Sasuke's face had been a deathly white and had been two seconds away from seriously freaking out.

This had been a bad idea. The moment he had realized that Sasuke had forgotten about the picnic he should have cancelled. Six months just wasn't enough time to settle down, especially when everything had gone so horribly wrong in the beginning. Or better yet, he should have gone with him to grab a drink. He should have done anything but allowed what had happened to happen. He hated seeing him like this; he hated the fact that more than likely he would _never_ become a sociable person. A fresh start, a new life and it all had just...

White eyes closed when he felt arms slide up his back, embracing him. It felt good, his presence felt good, and he wondered if there was anything he could honestly do for his lover. Sasuke didn't have anyone, not really, and the man did love him even if he was wary about it. There was Kira but she was a child and he would only feel as if he were holding his daughter back. No, he needed someone to be there for him, to truly help him settle and adjust to his new life.

_And if I stay in ANBU there's a higher chance of me being killed while on mission. He would…truly be alone. Who would be able to understand him? Or even try? What about his nightmares?_

Not that Sasuke hadn't dealt with his nightmares before but when Neji had entered the picture things had changed. Once one had something it was difficult to go back to the way things had been when it was gone. It didn't bother Neji to wake up in the middle of the night to put his arms around his lover to calm him – especially since the gesture had been returned many times over. He enjoyed making the other male smile briefly. He enjoyed simply being around the other's presence. He was fine with reassuring the other male that he wasn't going anywhere, because he wasn't.

Slowly the man in his arms was beginning to calm down. The trembling was starting to subside. He was fine with this, with being there for him, protecting him. Neji found himself _wanting_ to do those things. He wanted to be a solid part of Sasuke's life. He wanted to be there for Kira. He didn't want his lover to wonder whether or not he would return from a dangerous mission; it wasn't something he could handle. Neji had known that, he had known that Uchiha's mental and emotional state was highly fragile but he had gone with his heart and pursued the relationship anyway. The thought of leaving ANBU should have made him turn away but instead he found that he was fine with that. He'd see his lover and his daughter more. He'd be able to take less dangerous missions. He'd be able to be there for them.

It should have been impossible and he could very well be jumping into things but standing there, holding the trembling amnesiac…he could no longer deny what he was feeling. From the beginning it had been a strong pull and both males had fought it in their own way.

"Sasuke." There was the slight movement of the raven haired male's head, indicating that he was listening. "I want to...there is something I wish to tell you but I am not sure if now is exactly the right time to do so. How are you feeling?"

Pulling away slightly obsidian met white. He was still very pale and he looked a little ill but other than that the Uchiha looked a little better than before. There was a bit of worry in his gaze, probably because he didn't know what Neji wanted to tell him and considering the timing it would be easy to believe that it was bad. "I'm better," he answered. "I didn't…I didn't know that would happen."

"None of us did and it is not your fault in any case." Moving his hand from thick hair he brushed his knuckles along his cheek, smiling slightly. "I am only glad that I was able to get to you in time." The smile faded and the two continued to hold eye contact, the tension between them tense but not in a negative way. With a small sigh he tilted his head, pressing their lips together. His arms tightened around the younger male and he shivered slightly when he felt hands slide up his chest. Soft lips pressed back before coaxing him to allow Sasuke to deepen the kiss and he did, a low noise emerging from his throat.  
Another noise came from them and then arms were around the Hyuuga's neck as the two practically crushed themselves together, tongues exploring, mingling. Breaking, he closed his eyes at the sound of the other male's voice as he sucked in a breath before letting out a small noise when lips began to move down his neck. His heart was pounding; when had he _ever_ felt like this before? Being with this person made him feel passionate, made him feel alive. He was happy, exceedingly so, and he had never wanted to be with someone as much as he wanted to be with Uchiha.

"Sasuke," he breathed against the other's neck. "I…" Before he could gather the courage to say anything more hands framed his face and pulled him back up to hungry lips and a light moan escaped him. Fear and reassurance were powerful things; one had feared for the other and the other craved physical reassurance for what had happened. When warm hands slid up underneath his shirt and along skin he tilted his head back. "I want…" Thought left him when a tongue trailed up along his neck and the hands became a bit bolder in their exploration. As much as he knew that the other male needed and wanted the physical comfort only his lover could bring him, he wanted to say the words before he lost the courage to do so at all. "I want to become a…permanent part of your life."

Stopping, the other male pulled back, looking confused. "We already live together."

Smiling slightly he leaned back a bit more against the tree. "I know that, but that's not what I mean. I want…to truly be a part of yours and Kira's lives. I'm your lover, boyfriend if you wish to use that term, but I am not…family."

He still wasn't getting it and told him so.

_You are not making this easy for me, Uchiha,_ he thought, slightly amused. Neji was not normally an open person, especially not concerning feelings. "What I am saying is that I would…like to become a part of that."

Now pretty much back to normal he tilted his head slightly at him. "You mean like marriage? I mean, that's what people do when they want to go that route right?"

White eyes blinked at him a few times blankly. "I…suppose." The answer came out slow. "It is not something we would have to pursue but there is no law against two members of the same gender marrying…it is usually up to the Hokage how they wish to deal with that." His mind was rather blank concerning being married, mostly because it was a term he had never used to associate himself. He supposed Sasuke had a point. They were living together already and they were a couple. The only way to further their relationship would be to go that route or something similar. Otherwise what they had was fine.

But…he didn't want that. He wanted to be more than 'the boyfriend'.

"Neji…" Frowning, Sasuke tried to pull away but he refused. If he allowed him to pull away he'd try to fight it, to convince himself that the Hyuuga wasn't serious "I think maybe you're just…"

"Feeling emotional?" he offered and shrugged. "I have felt that way ever since we have first interacted and I am at a point where I no longer wish to run from my own feelings. I love your daughter, she is wonderful and I wish to be there for her. I've wanted nothing but to be with you for the longest time and now that I have you in my life I…" He cupped his cheek. "I didn't want to jump into anything but we _are_ adults and for the first time I actually want someone. I knew what I was getting into when I pursued you and while I had not known it at the time I know it now. I am in love with you, Sasuke."

The silence was deafening as the two stood there. Now that he had said the words out loud he wondered why it had felt like such a big deal to him before to be so cautious about it. He felt good, although embarrassed and a little afraid of rejection, but he did not regret the words.

At first the Uchiha had just stared at him as if he had completely lost his mind. Then a plethora of emotions emerged. Surprise, happiness, disbelief, nervousness, and then finally he schooled all of them and now he was wary. 'It's too good to be true.' He knew that was what the raven haired male was thinking. "I told you…you don't have to force yourself to feel something for me –"

"And I haven't," he cut in. "But I know myself and I know what I feel. You had known from the beginning of your feelings. Have those changed? Do you no longer –"  
"No." It came out a little sharper than intended and he looked away. "No. You know they haven't. I've always made that clear."

Gently, he tilted Sasuke's head to face him again. "For the first time in my life I desire a family…I want to become a part of your family. This is not something I have ever wanted. I had been perfectly content to remain single. Then you came into my life and now I cannot imagine my life without you and Kira in it."

Something troubling flickered in Sasuke's eye and for a brief, heart stopping moment he honestly thought he was going to be rejected. His breath caught in his throat; it hadn't been something he had considered but just the thought of it was terrifying. But then it was gone and his lover gave him somewhat of a lopsided smile. He didn't quite believe it although he wanted to. "This is what you want?" He shook his head a bit. "Neji…"

His response was to kiss him, effectively cutting off the sentence. He pulled back only far enough so that their lips were lightly brushing. "I love you," he said. "I will say it as many times as it takes for you to believe me." Another short kiss. "I will wait as long as I need to. You do not need to feel pressured to accept me but I do want you to know that this is the way I feel."

This time the other closed the distance, grabbing the back of the older male's head in an almost painful grip as their lips mashed together. It was hard, demanding and mixed in with various other emotions that the Hyuuga could only guess at. He let the other lead, a small shudder moving through him as hands began to move over his body, sliding underneath the fabric of his shirt.

He had not given him an answer but the Hyuuga was fine with that. He had said what needed to be said and the ball was in Sasuke's court. Whenever or if ever he wanted to take the relationship further he could, when he was ready.

"Aah…" He let out a strangled gasp when teeth sank into his neck, a wet tongue soothing over the ache. His lover began to suck lightly at that spot just along the crook of his neck, dull nails moving down his chest. Then his shirt was lifted, lips and tongue trailing along hardened muscle. His body immediately responded and silver eyes became hooded, mouth slightly agape. "S-Sasuke…" It came out as a shaky breath. "We…shouldn't…ah…" Words were lost as teeth scraped along a nipple before mouth and tongue washed over the sting. A sharp cry escaped when a warm hand slipped underneath his pants. "We should go back…" Oh good gods his lips were trailing lower, tongue dancing along heated skin. Chest, down to his abdomen…the fabric slowly drifted down over his hips…

Back arching he dug his fingers into the bark of the tree, forcing himself not to make too much noise as the tip of a tongue trailed along his hardening shaft, up and around the tip before trailing back down. Closing his eyes his head tilted back as his lover licked and nibbled, driving him insane with lust. They really shouldn't be doing this, they were in the forest, not _that_ far away from the main group and Neji wasn't always quiet during sex. It was taking more self-control than he had right now not to become too loud. There was the music in the background but what if someone came to check up on them?

A warm hand gripped him, moving slowly up and down while his lover's tongue continued to move over him, teeth lightly scraping along sensitive flesh. He tried to open his mouth again but no words – moans yes, words no – emerged. Perhaps he should have confessed his love back at the house. He should have known with all the emotion going around this would have happened. He tried once more. "Sasuke…" It sounded more like a plea than anything else but he couldn't help it. His lover was _really_ good with his tongue and it had been a while.

"Hm?" The raven haired male sounded very amused. Before Neji could try and clarify he took the tip into his mouth, tongue trailing over the head, licking away the precum. It was brief and then the wet organ trailed along the head once more before moving down. The Hyuuga couldn't hold back the loud moan.

"Aahn…" He began to move his hips automatically but was held down by a strong hand. Eyes still hooded he looked down at the male kneeling before him. "P-please…" His breaths were catching and logical thought was quickly flying out the window.

"Please, what?" At this point the Uchiha was openly teasing him, something he normally did when he took the lead and his lover turned into putty in his hands. "Please stop?"

A small shiver moved through the long haired male. "Please…" Another gasp. "More…please…" He couldn't even hold back the loud moan that emerged when a warm, wet mouth took him in. "Yes! Aah…Sasuke…j-just like that…"

Warmth moved up his thigh, Sasuke's hand. He sucked and nibbled, causing his lover to squirm and writhe from the pleasure. Pulling away briefly he trailed his tongue down and back up the other's shaft. "Do you really love me?" The question was asked low, husky, and before he could give him a chance to answer he once again took the other male completely into his mouth, loving the control he currently had over this normally strong and calm man.

"Yes!" It was a breathy exclamation. "Yes, gods yes…" He arched his back "So much…I love you so much Sasuke…"

Lips crashed against his and arms wrapped tightly around each other in an almost painful embrace. Hips rocked and he wanted to take his lover home right the hell now because two months had gone by since they had been intimate and he wanted him so badly.

"You have no idea…how much I've wanted to hear those words…" The voice was shaky along his ear, shaky and a bit of something else. " Neji, I lo –"

Everything came to an abrupt halt for the Uchiha, so abrupt that Neji actually became alarmed. Sasuke's face had paled considerably and his visible eye was wide with fear. Gently, he tried to catch his lover's gaze. "Sasuke?" No response. "Sasuke, what's wrong?"

Then he blinked and frowned, looking at Neji with open confusion, as if he didn't recognize him. Blinking again he shook his head lightly "I…it's…it's nothing," he finally said. "I guess I'm still feeling a bit strange from earlier."

_He's lying._ But why would Sasuke feel the need to do such a thing? He wasn't going to say anything, not yet, since the day had already been trying enough. Straightening his clothes out he offered his lover a small smile. "It's late afternoon, perhaps we should get Kira and go back to the house…"

The look he was given made him feel slightly apprehensive and yet he had no idea why. "I was thinking…" Another frown and Uchiha turned his head away. "Maybe Kira should be allowed to stay the night over at Kurenai's."

Had he heard that right? There was no way Sasuke was comfortable with such a situation considering everything that had happened. If there was one thing the fallen avenger cared about the most it was his daughter and he had a huge protective streak over her. "Are…you sure?" He placed his hands on the younger male's shoulders. "You've been through enough stress today. I do not think having Kira separated from you would be a good idea."

Sasuke looked highly uncomfortable. "Yeah but…" His pale face reddened slightly and he turned his gaze away. "Nevermind."

It took it a second for it to click in. Smiling, he framed Sasuke's face with his hands and kissed him. It was slow and lingering and he loved the warm feeling that formed in his stomach and moved throughout his body. "I'll go talk to Kurenai," he whispered against his lover's lips. "Tonight will be ours."

xxxxx

They had barely managed to make it into the doorway when Sasuke all but pounced on Neji, toppling them to the floor just above the stairway. Chuckling, the long haired male shucked off his sandals, pulling the other man up into his arms and down for a kiss. A warm hand trailed up his side and he let out an appreciative grunt, rocking his hips a bit. This caused his lover to become a little more forceful, tongue delving in and dominating. There was no real 'dominant' lover in the relationship. It really just depended on their mood. If one was feeling more aggressive than the other then they took charge; at this point they both knew what they wanted and how to please each other.

Parting, the Hyuuga groaned softly when teeth lightly sank into flesh along his neck. "Those words…" Sasuke's voice was low and thick and his lover's body reacted to the husky tone. "I want to hear them…"  
Shirt discarded, Neji was propped up on his elbows while a tongue trailed along his collarbone and down. "I…" He gasped when that tongue began to trail circles around a taut nipple. "I…I love you…" It was breathed out and his back arched slightly when teeth once again sank into sensitive flesh, tongue following, soothing. Closing his eyes he leaned his head back, heart pounding. He felt as if he were on some sort of strange high. Saying those words affected him in ways he didn't fully understand just yet. Love. It was a strong word, one that people easily used and yet it felt so right to say them to this person who was practically worshipping his body with his mouth. A hand slid up his chest and he shuddered at the contact.

He had never craved the sort of relationships his friends had ended up developing. Intimacy had been something he had sought out when the demands of his body could no longer be ignored. So this…it was…

Hands gripped his shoulders and the two were pulled into an upright position just before he felt his back slam against the far wall. Wrapping his arms around Uchiha's slightly wider shoulders, lips connected passionately again. Needing to touch him, his hands move underneath the fabric of Sasuke's shirt, marveling at the feel of hardened muscle. His lover parted then, tongue trailing over his lips before brushing kisses along his jaw and down. One hand trailed up his stomach and chest while the other slipped underneath his pants again, earning Sasuke a low moan.

When teeth sank into flesh once more it was actually…painful. Very. Wincing, Neji tried to pull away instinctively but then lips were there, brushing along the sting. Still, he found himself feeling slightly uncomfortable; there was rough and then there was painful, the latter he wasn't so fond of. Any protest was cut off as he was kissed again. Forcing himself to calm down he put his hands through short black hair, although his lover didn't respond as he normally would have.

Something gripped his hair hard and pulled, eliciting a sharp sound from the older male. When teeth once again bit painfully into his skin, enough to actually draw blood, Neji knew something was wrong.  
Gripping the arm that had a hold on his hair he tried to pull back as well as he could while being pinned against the wall. "Sasuke what-?"  
Words were silenced as a free hand gripped his neck tightly, quickly followed by the other. Beyond stunned he didn't immediately lash out, his hands gripping Uchiha's wrists in an effort to remove them. White eyes widened when their gazes met. Sasuke's face was completely devoid of emotion, even his eye looked dead.

"Byakugan!" Immediately the problem presented itself. Something dark was moving through his lover's mind, some sort of strange jutsu. Kabuto. It had to be that person and somehow he had managed to activate a jutsu to control Sasuke…or it had activated on its own, he had no real idea. What he did know was that if he didn't incapacitate his lover the Uchiha would actually strangle him.

"…Forgive me, Sasuke," he said sadly. Letting go of the other man's wrists his hands shot out with alarming speed, snapping all of the chakra points in Sasuke's forearms closed. There was a startled grunt and the male stepped back. Wasting no time, Neji struck, hitting vital chakra points so as to immobilize. It was simple and quick. Whoever or whatever had been controlling him had limited access to Uchiha's skills and reflexes. When Sasuke hit the ground the Hyuuga quickly knelt down, pressing his fingers to his forehead, knocking him out.

Standing up straight he panted, his hand moving over the shoulder that had been bitten hard enough to draw blood. Something hard settled at the bottom of his stomach as he continued to look on. Something bad was going to happen; he could feel it.

He needed to get him to the hospital, the others were probably still at the picnic. Worry filled him at the thought of there being something seriously wrong with Sasuke. With a silent prayer, something he hadn't done for years, he bent down and brushed his lips along his lover's. Shifting then, he pulled the other male into his arms and over his shoulder. He was only grateful that Kira was safe over at Kurenai's. This was not something she needed to see.

Neji suddenly felt very vulnerable. He loved his family and were anything to happen to them he would be devastated but…the thought of something truly happening to Sasuke affected him on a completely different level. His emotions felt all over the place and out of control and while that had been fine five minutes ago, it was not so much now. The worry and concern were like a physical ache for him and it frightened him that he actually felt so strongly for a person that he was reacting in such a manner.

_Please…just please be alright._

He didn't even bother putting a shirt on. Once he had his burden secure he walked out of the house and quickly made his way towards the hospital, hoping that if no one else, Tsunade or Shizune would be there. Now his heart was pounding, but for a completely different reason.

_Sasuke…_


	13. Chapter 13

AN: Sorry for taking so long!

xxxxx

13

xxxxx

Neji had absolutely no idea what to think or how to feel when Naruto opened his mouth to give him Sasuke's diagnosis. The blond looked extremely pleased, as if he had just won the lottery.

"That bastard's got some of his old memories back!" They were standing in the hall where Uchiha's room was. Slowly, the Hyuuga found himself moving to sit in a chair, his pale gaze focused on the floor.

"I see." A thick, unpleasant feeling moved through him and his chest began to feel very painful. "What…exactly does he remember…and how did it happen?"

Oblivious to Neji's emotional struggle the Hokage grinned brightly. "Granny said that the seal placed on his memories had been broken when whoever or whatever it was tried to take over his head. She's lookin into making another seal to keep it from happening again. She says it was locking away Sasuke's important memories but it was also like a uh…" His blue eyes squinted. "Pathway? No…that wasn't it. Uh…gateway! Yeah, that it!"

He felt sick and he wanted to leave. His chest felt heavy and his stomach felt uncomfortably hot. "You didn't tell me what he remembers." His voice was low and solemn.

"Well…Granny said she didn't really know and Sasuke hasn't really been talking. He's just been sitting in the room staring off into space or looking out the window." He shrugged. "I just figured he needed some time to let the thoughts settle, y'know?" Neji frowned when a hand slapped his shoulder playfully. "Isn't this great, Neji? I mean, he'll never have all of his memories back but he's got the ones that Kabuto couldn't erase…Sakura and I are really excited to see what he remembers. Do you think he's remembered us now?"

_Gods…I hope not._ "I don't know." Came the honest answer. "Is…can he be seen now?" He had to see him, had to confirm his suspicions. Too many emotions were building up in him and he was beginning to panic. Neji had lived his life being in control at all times. He had his emotions just like everyone else but he had always been able to keep calm through meditation and his own life practices. Being with Sasuke had made him carefree; he had stopped caring so much about being in control and had briefly enjoyed just being in the moment. This was the first time he had _ever_ opened up to someone and allowed them to become so close to his heart. Hell, he was in love with Sasuke, very much so.

It took a lot to keep him from shaking or reacting in a manner that would draw Naruto's attention.  
Naruto shrugged. "Well, visiting hours are over but you're uh…special or whatever." He gave the brunette a goofy grin. "Go ahead and spend a little time with that guy, just don't do anything freaky."

White eyes narrowed. "Don't be ridiculous," he snapped and then decided to just ignore Naruto's sly grin. The guy was a closet pervert and he had other things on his mind. With a small inward sigh he stood up. "Very well then, I will go…and see him."

xxxxx

He had been sitting on the side of the bed when Neji entered, a blank expression on his angular face. Both men looked at each other in silence, their thoughts only known to them. Sasuke was currently struggling with the influx of memories he had abruptly acquired and he found himself highly disoriented and confused. He didn't feel like himself, something had definitely changed.

"How…are you feeling?" The question sounded guarded and strained, making Uchiha frown slightly at his lover. There was something about his tone he didn't like.

"I feel…confused. Fine, I guess." A scowl emerged. "About what happened…"

Neji shook his head. "It was not your fault, I understand. Naruto informed me that you acquired some of your memories."

Something uncomfortable shifted within him as he took in the Hyuuga's carefully blank expression and slightly tense posture. "…Yeah, I did." He even sounded different. There was a slight arrogant note to his tone of voice and he held himself differently; he knew it and he knew Neji recognized it. How could he explain it? When he had awakened all of a sudden his mind had been swamped with memories…deep memories. He was still trying to find himself in the mix. Looking at his lover, however, that wasn't what he was concerned about. He took in the dark bruise on one side of Neji's neck and the small bandage on the other where he had bit him. Dark marks that looked like fingers were also present on pale skin. Sasuke remembered that, how his body had just taken over, how he had tried to kill…

Guilt rode him hard. What would the Hyuuga do now? He had told him that he understood but there was a wall between them and it was growing thicker by the second. The bits of his past self were trying to connect with his current self to achieve some sort of coherency in his mind…which initially had made him almost confused about his actual feelings towards Neji. The others had all been right; the two of them hadn't had a close relationship. In all of his memories that he had recently acquired, Hyuuga Neji had not even been a thought or a consideration. He had been just a name, another person from a village he had no longer held positive feelings towards.

It had taken him a few hours to reorient himself but now that his lover was in the room, all of his thoughts shifted to memories of the two of them. Neji laughing softly, something he only did around him and Kira. Having his arms around the older male, smirking slightly when the Hyuuga would tilt his head back and gaze at him with those unique white eyes of his. The patient manner in which he dealt with Kira, helping her with chakra control techniques. The way his eyes looked almost like liquid mercury when aroused; how those eyes would become hooded when he touched him in the right spots. He remembered how Neji's breath would hitch when his hands explored hardened muscle. The way fingers would dig into his skin as he would arch his back, moaning his name. The feel of long brown hair drifting over his skin, how amazing it felt when Neji was inside of him…

_"I am in love with you, Sasuke."_

"What do you remember?" The Uchiha was slightly disoriented by the question as he was driven from his reverie. Heat rushed to his face when he looked up at Neji again, bits of his old self mingling with his new self and just making things awkward.

_I…did those things…I did those things with him. He and I…_

"I remember Itachi," was what the fallen avenger eventually said. "I remember bits of pieces of the two of us when we were kids. I…remember bits of the chunnin exams." Had he not been staring at Neji he would have missed the small twitch of his left eyebrow. "I remember…very little about Orochimaru…bits about Kabuto after he captured me…and I remember the day I died." He didn't tell Neji that he remembered killing his brother and he wasn't entirely sure why he had done it either. He knew that it had caused him a lot of pain and anguish, and it still did. He had loved his brother more than anything.

"That is quite a bit." It was said with not a hint of emotion which surprised him yet was not surprising at the same time. He had a feeling that the person he was seeing right now was what he showed to everyone; the side he wanted everyone to see. A side he had never shown when he had first found him. Discomfort filled Sasuke; something bad was going to happen. It felt as if the two of them were pulling apart and he didn't quite understand why. Was it because of the attack? No, Neji said he understood and so he understood; the Hyuuga never said anything he didn't mean. So then why was he looking at him like that? "I take it then that with those memories you remember some of your old jutsus and skills as a shinobi."

He paused before answering. "Yes." He knew all of the jutsus his memories had shown him and he even knew about his bloodline limit, something he hadn't been aware of having until then. There were still massive gaps that were forever lost to his conscious mind but Neji being on guard was putting him on guard so he did not mention it. "I remember the fights so I remember the skills that went with it."

"I see." There was a long pause as pale silver eyes scanned over him thoroughly. "My presence is making you uncomfortable."

"It's not…" He put a hand through his dark locks and looked away. "Even with these memories there's still a massive amount of my life missing. The one thing I _do_ know was what we _weren't_ to each other." Normally he wouldn't have hesitated to speak his thoughts or feelings, now he found that it was highly uncomfortable for him to reveal himself in such a manner. It now made him feel vulnerable. But if he kept silent Neji would get the wrong idea, he needed to explain it and hope the other understood. "Even though I know it now, Neji my feelings for you…" He looked back over towards his lover and started.  
Neji was gone.

"…haven't changed."

xxxxx

The Hokage winced slightly at the particularly hard blow to his forearm as he blocked a high jab. He was at the training grounds with Sasuke, the latter finally being medically cleared after almost a month of testing and monitoring. Naruto hadn't mentioned it but everyone who had interacted with the brunette had noticed the abrupt change of mood and the complete lack of a certain Hyuuga ever since that first night. Naruto had mentioned it _once_ and the look Sasuke had given him had definitely been one of murderous intent. No one knew what happened and everyone was too afraid to ask.

As for the Hyuuga…Neji had requested a leave of absence and it was unknown as to when he would be returning. Since it was ANBU it was more than allowed. Individuals were not required to be a part of the special ops forces and were not forced to stay if they did not wish to stay. After his request had gone through the long haired male had completely disappeared, the only rumor going around was that he was back at the Hyuuga estate.

Sharingan activated, Sasuke's face was a blank slate as he continued on the offensive, anger swimming in the red depths of his remaining eye. The blond grunted at another blocked hard blow.

"You're depth perception has gotten a lot better," the Hokage observed but it didn't even make a dent in the Uchiha's hardened mask. "Kakashi been helping you out some?"

No answer was forthcoming so Naruto decided he would have to figure out his best friend on his own. There were differences between the old Sasuke and this one but with a few of his memories unlocked it was a little easier to read him now. The Uchiha's mask was there because he was hiding emotionally, that much was obvious. Neji had disappeared and had not seen Sasuke ever since. So…they broke up for some reason? But why? They had looked so close at the picnic that day, _more_ than close. He had never seen Neji look as content and at ease and Sasuke had looked happy…well as happy as he could have been surrounded by people he still barely knew. Mentally shaking his head he realized that it didn't quite matter what it was exactly because Sasuke couldn't keep doing this to himself. It was time to have a heart to heart with his friend…whether he wanted it or not.

"Yo, bastard." He had to suppress a grin when Sasuke all but tried to remove his head with a high kick and backed away a bit. "I win and you tell me what the hell's eating you."

Something old and familiar flashed in his eye, or perhaps it was the tomoe that had started spinning. "Talking about it isn't going to change anything."

_Wow…I definitely felt the chill from _that_ one,_ he thought. "Yeah, but it'll help, I promise."

He seemed to seriously consider it before scowling. "You already know what happened. He's in ANBU after all."

Yup, definitely about Neji. Well, this really sucked. "Naw, he's taken a leave of absence from ANBU, did it that same day. He's not talking to anyone either…hell, I don't even know where the guy is living! He could be out on the streets or something." An exaggeration but he had wanted to see what his friend would do or say.

Sasuke didn't react at all visually. "Not my problem and I don't care." Abruptly he stopped the spar and turned to leave. "I'm not going to play twenty questions with you, Naruto. If you're just going to bug me about this, I'm going to go pick up Kira from Kurenai's and go home."

The Hokage let him take a few steps before speaking. "You know…if you two love each other maybe talking it out would –"

Harsh laughter cut him off and the Uchiha smirked although his now black eye was dull. "If there's _one_ thing I've learned since being brought here, Naruto, it's to never believe everything you hear. I don't need anyone but my daughter, who I'm going to go pick up now. See ya."

_Shit…this is…really serious._ Bright blue eyes watched as his dark friend walked away, but he didn't at all miss the pain and hurt coming from his friend. He had never seen him look like that before but he knew what it meant. Naruto had no real clue what was going on but what he _did_ know was that his friend loved Neji and for some reason Neji had been the one to break things off – Sasuke wouldn't have sounded so bitter otherwise. But why?

Ignoring the problem wasn't going to make it go away and both men were his friends. He couldn't just sit by and do absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, Neji's actions had made the Uchiha even less inclined to trust anyone or allow anyone to get closer to him. He would get nothing out of his old friend. That meant he'd have to go find Neji and get the answers out of him.

_Or Hinata…she would know! They're pretty close…_

Right then. It was time to pay the Hyuuga estate a visit.

xxxxx

_Hinata-san,_

_If Snow country was cold, the Moon country is its polar opposite. It is more refreshing here, as it is warmer and reminds me of home, but it is definitely lush and full of vegetation, unlike Suna. It is a tourist area it would seem and some of the tours were…interesting. The beaches are refreshing. I have not had many opportunities to visit a beach in my life and I ended up enjoying myself. I am currently learning how to surf._

_Beach sand and desert sand, by the way, are definitely different than I would have imagined. I can still easily manipulate it, but it feels thicker than normal sand. I am assuming this is because of the ocean. I will be staying here for about a month before I move on. I did send you something; it is some sort of trinket the island is famous for. For some reason, the moon reminds me of you. I think that's why I bought it._

_I would like to thank you for the tea leaves; it was a rather pleasant surprise. Do the children fare well? The offer for assistance still stands if you need it. It would be unwise to strain your resources in fear of being an inconvenience._

_Please take care of yourself, Hinata-san, I will write again soon._

xxxxx

"Kira is doing very well, Uchiha-san." Umino Iruka looked quite pleased as he looked down at his new student. They were in his office, which was rather large due to his being there for so long. "Her chakra control is amazing at her age and although a few of the students don't mind assisting her in getting around she honestly doesn't need it."

Sasuke had to hand it to the man, his kindness was genuine even though he was well aware of who he was. More than likely it was because of Kira.

"I will say this," the chunnin continued. "I strongly feel that Kira should train herself to move around with shoes on. On a mission going around barefoot would hardly be practical. She'd only injure herself." The older male leaned on his desk as he stood in front of them. "Regardless of what anyone else will tell you Uchiha-san." His expression was stern. "As long as Kira works hard, she _will_ be able to be a capable shinobi. In fact, if she were to truly master fully moving around as one with sight could she'd be even more than that. She has amazing potential. If you can find a tutor for her to train her on more advanced chakra control techniques while attending the academy I think it would be very beneficial."

It took a lot for him not to scowl. Neji _had_ been training Kira in advanced chakra control. That was until he had decided to…

_Don't think about it. It'll just piss you off all over again. You have no one to blame but yourself for letting him convince you that he actually gave a fuck._

_"I'm in love with you, Sasuke."_

Biggest load of bullshit he had ever heard. The guy had dumped him less than twenty four hours after that statement.

"I'll try to see if I can find someone," was what he told the other man and he looked down at his daughter. "I'm glad she's doing well; thanks for accepting her into the academy." Even though he hadn't wanted to. He wanted to be where he could see Kira at all times but it wasn't realistic and he knew it. Furthermore, the best thing for her was to get training, to learn how to defend herself if something ever happened to him. Besides…he wasn't entirely sure if Kira was safe around him, even with the seal Tsunade placed on him.

If Iruka noticed the Uchiha's inner turmoil he didn't show it. Instead his smile widened. "It's a pleasure, Uchiha-san."

They left shortly after and it was thankfully late afternoon so they were able to take the less populated roads to get back to their house. A house that felt incredibly empty. When Sasuke had been released from the hospital and returned home with Kira it had been as if Neji had never even lived there. He had left nothing of his behind. He didn't even leave a fucking 'dear john' letter.

He didn't want to talk to anyone about it; he wanted to be left alone. They would all just try and act sympathetic but in reality it'd be pity and he was _tired_ of everyone's pity. Did it hurt when he had realized that he had been dumped without even a word? More than anyone would ever know and he wasn't telling either.

"Papa?" He gazed down at his daughter who was holding his hand as they walked. "Neji-san…he's not coming back…is he?" Her face turned downcast. "His scent is even fading from the house and papa is so miserable…"

"I'm not miserable." He squeezed her hand lightly. "I'm fine as long as I have you."

Kira wasn't fooled but she didn't say anything in response. It was not until they were almost home that she spoke again. "Do you think Neji-san left because he was afraid you didn't love him anymore, papa?"

The question floored him and when he abruptly stopped walking her head tilted and she turned in his direction, confused. "Kira…what do you mean by that?"

"U-um well…" His highly observant daughter looked down. "Papa said that you and Neji-san weren't even friends before…you didn't like each other. M-maybe he felt that because you had your memories back that you would feel the way you did back then."

His face was blank, but inwardly, he was stunned. Could Kira have a point?

_"I must admit that I am as new to relationships as you are. I've never actually been with someone for a long period of time."_

_"I must admit I envy your confidence in your feelings. It has been what it is since the beginning for you. I suppose it feels a little intimidating at times."_

Even though Neji had always seemed so confident and understanding about their relationship he had mentioned his insecurities more than once. He never truly complained about it; he had always mentioned it in passing.

_"I didn't want to jump into anything but we are adults and for the first time I actually want someone."_

_"I am almost twenty-seven years old and you are the first person I have been in a relationship with. They are surprised that I am with someone because I have never shown an interest in relationships before."_

Had Neji…run away? It seemed so strange to see it that way. Neji didn't seem to be the sort of person who ran from anything but when he thought back to that day in the hospital the Hyuuga had seemed very distant and guarded.

_"The one thing I do know was what we _weren't _to each other."_

_I…I shouldn't have said that._ He had been confused at the time and if he were honest with himself he _had_ struggled with his feelings initially for Neji because of his memories. It had felt strange to know he had been intimate with someone he had never even given a second thought in his past.

It didn't mean that Neji had done the right thing and it didn't make him hurt any less but Kira had a point. Neji had been acting more emotional. He had exposed himself when it was obvious it wasn't something he had ever done. Had the roles been reversed, he wasn't sure if he would have done anything differently. Sasuke was the exact same way when it came to being vulnerable and exposed.

"You might be right." Putting a hand on top of her head he smiled even though she couldn't see it. "But it doesn't matter, he obviously doesn't want to return and I'm not sure I'd let him in any case. He took the coward's way out."

As they walked inside Kira looked as if she wanted to say something else but refrained and he didn't push her. He loved his daughter more than anything but she tended to be _too_ observant and if he were honest with himself, he didn't really want to know what Kira felt about his actions regarding Neji. He really didn't want to think about the Hyuuga at all anymore. Ever.

xxxxx

_Gaara-san,_

_I am so glad the tea made it to you! I was worried; sometimes parcel packages can be lost or damaged. Please let me know if you ever need any more. I will be more than happy to send some._

_The children are doing fine. We have settled them into a good regime and Naruto-kun has pulled aside some academy teachers to instruct them – with extra pay of course. I thought that maybe they would eventually become upset with the fact that they can't yet go outside but none of them have complained. I…suppose it's because of the lives they've lived up until this point. I'm just thankful that many of them won't remember that compound. We're still doing well. We have a lot of former branch members, Gaara-san. I promise you if we truly need help I will not hesitate. You do not need to worry so much._

_There is some sad news. One of the mothers and her baby died while in the hospital. They tried their best but the mother had lost the will to live and we're not sure but we believe she had been flushing her meals down the toilet. She was suffering from malnutrition. _

_Kira-chan is attending the academy right now. Iruka-sensei says that with a bit more training she'll be able to graduate on time. She is very excited. Kurenai-sensei adores her and she and Akio play all the time. I think they have little crushes on each other._

_Thank you so much for the trinket. You didn't have to do this but I love it and I will wear it around my neck always. You said that I remind you of the moon…you remind me of the wind. Whenever I am out and it is a windy day I think of you._

_I hope to hear from you soon._

With a sigh she leaned back in her chair, fingers brushing along the metal of the silver moon pendant he had sent to her. There was a good luck charm that had come with it that was currently hanging in what was considered a 'lucky spot' in her study. From her pendant those delicate fingers touched her lips, remembering the feel of the Kazekage's lips on her own. There had been no promises made, no oaths had been spoken. They were friends that ended up having one night of passion and the thoughts refused to leave her mind. She liked Gaara, a lot, and even though nothing would come of it she was happy to have at least had that moment with him.

But she wasn't getting any younger.

At twenty-six she was coming to a point where she would have to seriously consider choosing a husband; more than likely one from the main or branch houses or someone of lesser nobility. She had to run the clan so whoever she married would have to remain on Hyuuga grounds. She would need to produce an heir soon; it wasn't a burden she wanted to place on her younger sister, even if the woman was engaged to be married.

She had known when she had taken this position that she wouldn't have had the luxury to marry for love, especially when Naruto had finally gotten Sakura. There were a few individuals not married that she knew of, but they were friends and Hyuuga politics were trying. She didn't want to drag a friend into a life like that. Hinata wasn't going to tell Gaara but more than likely by the time he returned she would be married. Not that she didn't want to be a mother, she would love that…but she had wanted the child to have been born out of love. Then again, her parents had been an arranged marriage initially and she wasn't even sure if her father had even loved her mother or not.

"Hinata-sama?"

The soft voice of her assistant had her looking up, a blank expression on her face.

"Yes?"

"The um…Hokage is here to see you. He…"  
'He' burst through the door, blue eyes blazing, his face one of grim determination. "Where's Neji?" he demanded. "I know he's here Hinata. I need to have a talk with him!"

Her cousin was indeed at the estate. Her surprise had been that it had taken Naruto a few weeks to discover what had happened. _She_ knew, because she had asked around. Her cousin hadn't told her anything.

"Naruto-kun…" With a small sigh she stood. "Neji-niisan hasn't left his room and will not see anyone –"

"He'll see _me,_" the blond growled and she resisted the urge to sigh again.

"Naruto-kun, I…there's the children so…"

At this he deflated a bit, understanding. "Don't worry, I won't make a scene in front of the kids…but you and I both know that they're miserable without each other! I dunno what happened but it can't go on Hinata, we know that."

The Hyuuga head nodded her agreement. Somehow or another her cousin and Sasuke had broken up; over what, she had no idea. All she knew was that she had never seen her cousin that vulnerable in his entire life and she hadn't liked it. He was miserable and she had a feeling it wasn't going to just go away.

"We'll…go in together," she told him and this seemed like an acceptable deal. He nodded.

"Alright then! Let's go knock some sense into that pig-headed ANBU captain of mine! Between the two of them, Neji is the easiest. It's Sasuke that will need more convincing. He's…" The Hokage shook his head. "I don't know what happened Hinata but Sasuke was really…devastated. And hurt. I've never seen him like this before."

She definitely understood. "I know." Walking around the table she motioned for her assistant to leave them and she took a deep mental breath. "All right then, I'll take you to him." 


	14. Chapter 14

**14**

He couldn't avoid the world forever, he knew this, but he was certainly going to stall as long as he could. He knew it was shameless and cowardly and yet he could not help it.

_"The one thing I do know was what we _weren't _to each other."_

Sitting in his old room on his old bed the Hyuuga leaned forward, putting his hands through his hair. Those words had hit him harder than any physical blow and the vulnerability he had felt from him had made him leave right then and there. He knew why he had fled; it had been from a potential – Ha! Potential! – broken heart. The reality of the situation was that he was running from hearing those words, that Sasuke had remembered enough of his past and no longer felt comfortable continuing their relationship. He had _looked_ uncomfortable with him in the room. The two hadn't known each other well in the past and it wasn't as if they had liked the little bit that they had known. As much as everyone else wanted the old Sasuke back…that was the _last_ thing he wanted.

_And I had told him that I loved him._

The old Uchiha would have probably found it amusing, or disgusting, depending. Sasuke had held no love for Konoha prior to his death and had the man had his way all of them would be dead. Hands gripped his hair tightly; he should have kept his distance. Why had he allowed himself to grow close to someone? He had never done that before, had never had a reason to. He had liked his life. He had enjoyed being single and having no attachments.

He felt like such an idiot for allowing himself to become so vulnerable to the point where he was now sitting, no, _hiding_, in his old home feeling as if someone had ripped his heart from his chest. He hated this feeling; he hated the fact that he was so emotionally weak. That night he had actually wept, something he hadn't done since his father had died. He had felt pathetic for doing it; was this what love did to people? Did they always make them this foolish and ridiculous?

Neji couldn't stop those words from echoing in his head and every time he heard it he felt as if another part of him had died. He had meant it when he said he had loved Sasuke but it wasn't until all of this had happened that he realized how alarmingly true his words had really been.

So he had ran and…nothing. Sasuke didn't come looking for him. From what he could tell, the attempt hadn't even been made. For Neji, it had only confirmed his fears: that Sasuke was no longer comfortable and possibly no longer held the same feelings as before. This was only more depressing, so he continued to remain reclusive as he tried to pick up the broken pieces of his damaged emotions. When his mind wasn't going over Sasuke's words it was reliving their time together. This only brought him more anguish because it would never happen again. More than likely just being around the other male would make him uncomfortable and awkward. He wondered often if Sasuke regretted it all. He had no idea what the man's sexual preference had been prior to his amnesia; had he been straight and now the thought that he had slept with a man disgusted him?

_Stop this. Damnit, stop this line of thinking. It's asinine._

He hated that he was behaving like this; he hated that he felt the way he did. So what if Sasuke regretted it? He didn't and he should just be content with what they'd had together. He needed to get up, get his shit together and move the hell on from this. He had given Sasuke his out to keep awkward exchanges to a minimum. He had moped around for weeks too long; it was time to start behaving like a proper Hyuuga again. He needed to start looking for an apartment. Imposing on Hinata like he was doing was unacceptable. He also needed to get back to work. Taking a leave of absence to sit around and be pathetic had been foolish. He should have instead taken more missions to take his mind off of everything.

_There was a sharp gasp as his lover arched his back, his hand squeezing his tightly. He shivered as muscles wrapped around him. Being inside someone had never felt so amazing. That dark eye was smoldered with heat and lust as he looked up at him. When he rocked his hips that eye closed, his back arched again and a low moan escaped kiss-swollen lips. Fingers dug into his shoulder and his name echoed in the darkness of the room._

_'Neji…" his lover panted as another moan escaped and coherent thought was replaced by pleasure-induced murmurs – 'harder, fuck yes…more…faster…s-so good…' – which were driving him insane. He obliged, his body feeling as if it were on fire, body tightening, wanting release so damn badly. His lover moaned his name again and he shivered at the intensity._

_"Do you ever wish you could remember?" he asked his lover, who shrugged._

_"Not really." Shifting on the couch a hand moved through long brown hair. "Especially not now that I'm with you."_

He had to stop this; he _had_ to. Highly irritated with himself he stood up in his room and was about to head out the door when it slammed open, revealing none other than the Hokage himself. Surprised, Neji blinked at the man for a moment, taking him in. Naruto was highly agitated, frustrated, and worried. Something had happened that involved him so he concluded it could only be two things. One, it was about a mission or two, it was about Uchiha. He had a sick feeling it was the latter.

Despite his turbulent emotions Neji schooled his face into an expressionless mask and stared at the blonde. "Naruto." It was a flat greeting but the other male didn't seem to care.

"Alright, what the hell is going on between you two?" Two steps were taken into his room, revealing Hinata at the door, a worried and pensive expression on her face.

This confrontation wasn't a surprise but he was irritated. He had never been one for people butting into his personal life and he certainly wasn't appreciative of it right now.

Seeing that Neji wasn't going to answer he growled slightly and took a more menacing step forward. "Why did you break up with Sasuke? I know that's what happened; I saw him and I know it wasn't him so why?"

He bristled "This isn't any of your –"

"It _is_ my business!" he cut in. "I'm your friend! Both of yours! Did you two get into a fight or something? Something's gotta give. No one wants to see the two of you continue to suffer."

"I'm sure Uchiha is just fi –"

Hinata cried out as Neji was abruptly cut off. Air was pushed from his lungs and pain filled him. When the Hokage spoke again his voice was low and angry, fist still in his friend's gut.

"For someone who's always prided themselves on being observant, you're really blind." It came out as a growl. "Just fine, Neji? The guy is _suffering_."

He was pushed back onto his bed, arms wrapping around his stomach as he tried to cough and gather some air back into his lungs.

"Alright, I don't know what happened." The Hokage looked very agitated. "I don't know why it's like this but I know now it's your fault. Whatever the hell you're thinking Neji, get it out of your head." Frustrated, he raked a hand through blonde tresses. "C'mon man, you were the _only_ person Sasuke allowed to get close to him. He's still distant with me even!" There was some hidden pain in his tone but Neji, who was irritated at having been punched in the gut, wasn't feeling sympathetic.

"That's because you wanted him to be something he wasn't," he growled. "You made him feel as if who he was wasn't good enough."

"Oh yeah? Well what do you think _you're_ doing, huh?" Blue eyes blazed with anger. "How do you think he feels knowing that the person he loves just dropped him for no damn reason? He trusted and confided in you Neji and you dropped the guy while he was still in the hospital. That's cold."

"You don't understand –"

"Then start explaining." The Hokage crossed his arms. "I got time."

It was at this point that Hinata had walked in. Her gaze was solemn. "I…Naruto-kun is right Neji-niisan." She sighed softly. "I've seen Uchiha-san and…" She shook her head. "Please, Neji-niisan we just…we all just want you to be happy and you two are miserable. It hurts us to see you two like this."

There was silence as the two – yes, even Naruto, surprisingly – waited patiently for Neji to speak or do something. He didn't really know what to say. He was horribly confused and lost. Sasuke was…miserable? He believed Hinata's claims even if Naruto hadn't come inside pissed off for his friend.  
Stomach feeling a little better he put his hands through his thick, somewhat untamed hair. "I…can't," he finally said. He couldn't tell them why he was like this; he couldn't put himself on the line like that emotionally around these two.

He needed to calm down and he needed to think logically about this. For weeks he had been operating on emotion. Logical thought processes had been tossed out the window. First things first, Hinata and Naruto were telling him that his leaving Sasuke was making him miserable. Since he did not believe them to be liars he backtracked to the night he had last spoken to Sasuke.

The Uchiha had looked very uncomfortable around his presence but there could have been other reasons for that, not just the one he had been dreading. For one, Sasuke had all but tried to rip out his throat with his teeth because of whatever it was that had taken over his mind. His discomfort could have been guilt and perhaps fear that his lover would become wary or uncomfortable…possibly even leave. Analyzing it he realized that while Sasuke had looked hesitant and uncomfortable with Neji being in the room, he had seemed more afraid of him being angry about the attack.

Along with that discomfort had been confusion. Natural considering that he had all of a sudden been bombarded with memories. He remembered how Naruto had told him that Sasuke had refused to tell anyone what he remembered…but he had told Neji. He had trusted him which meant that he still…

Suddenly, he felt very ill. Sasuke had told him because he had still trusted him. He had still cared. He had been confused and disoriented, yes, but he wouldn't have opened up to him if he had truly been reverting back to the 'old Uchiha'. Neji had been so terrified of being tossed aside when he had revealed himself so openly that he had reacted. He had been afraid to see contempt and disgust in the other man's eyes, to see that arrogant smirk and look of contempt. After learning that he cared about someone so much he actually wanted to spend the rest of his life with them, having it all shoved back in his face had been absolutely terrifying.

Not that it mattered now. Sasuke would never forgive him for up and leaving like that. Neji had thought, in his panic, that leaving would have made things easier for Uchiha. No weird confrontations, no asking him to leave because he would have already left.

"Neji-niisan…" Hinata's soft voice pulled him from his thoughts. "We're not…we don't want to –"

"I know." Slowly, he looked up at Naruto. "You are right, the fault is mine. However, because it is me, he will not forgive. Whether I confront or continue to avoid him, the result will be the same." And it hurt, but for more than one reason and he had no want or desire to convey them to his friend and cousin.

Neji had apparently forgotten who it was he was dealing with, for the moment he said those words a hand gripped his wrist and he was pulled up hard to his feet. Naruto looked very unhappy.

"Stop running away, Neji. Even if you two don't get back together, you owe the guy an explanation at least. I'm not gonna let this drag out anymore. It's been weeks already. If you two stay broken up we'll still be there for you, but you gotta put some closure to this. You're both falling apart."

He was right, of course. That didn't mean he had to like it. Neji didn't think he _could_ confront Sasuke right now. It felt too soon. But he needed to stop running away. It had never been something he had done before and to continuing to do so now would just be disgraceful.

"Alright. I'll go talk to him."

xxxxx

_Hinata-san,_

_Tomorrow I will be traveling to the Sea country. I did enjoy my time here. I am hoping that it is warm there as well. I find that the longer I am in warm weather the less I enjoy the cold. Is it getting closer to summer there? It is difficult for me to keep up with seasons when Suna is not known for them. Apparently, neither is Snow or Moon country._

_I apologize for the shortness of this letter although there is very little to say now that I am leaving. As always, I will write when I arrive safely. Until then._

_Temari,_

_I appreciate your concern but it is unnecessary. Hinata-san and I are friends and I am content with this. When I return I am sure you will no longer wish to hold onto the position of Kazekage and I would not do that to you in any case. I have been selfish enough as it is. I do not love her, although I admire and care for her a great deal. I do not need to be in an intimate relationship to be happy. I enjoy the bonds with the people I have; I treasure them and that is truly all I need. I am not as 'hung up' on her as Kankuro would like for you to believe. You two worry enough about me. I will be fine. If there is anything you need from me, simply say the word._

xxxxx

He actually came two seconds from punching the Hokage in the face before he reigned in his emotions. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sasuke demanded, borderline enraged. "Who asked you to get in the middle of this?"

Neji was outside his house. That person who he wanted nothing more to do with, Uzumaki Naruto had dragged over and was now demanding that the two of them converse with each other. He wanted to tell both of them to go away and leave him the hell alone. He was tired. Ever since he had awakened in this village he had been unhappy; that had changed with Neji and then it had all went to hell.

"C'mon, Sasuke." The Hokage actually looked as frustrated as him. "I don't know the details but I'm starting to think this was just a huge misunderstanding."

The brunette's jaw set. "I don't see what's there to misunderstand when you return and your boyfriend has packed up and moved out. I got the hint pretty clearly."

Naruto made a highly frustrated noise, putting his hands through his already messy hair. "You two are _idiots_!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "He left because he thought it was what _you_ wanted and you're pissed because you think he left because he didn't care. I can't believe_ I'm_ actually saying this but grow the hell up, both of you!"

"He what?" Uchiha looked at him as if he had lost it. "That doesn't even make sense; he knows how I've felt. Why would I want him to leave?"

"Look, I don't know, okay? He didn't tell me much. Something had to have happened; Neji doesn't do anything without a reason."

_"The one thing I _do_ know was what we _weren't _to each other."_

_"Do you think Neji-san left because he was afraid you didn't love him anymore, papa?"_

"You're both the sort of people that don't like opening themselves up much." Naruto's voice cut him out of his thoughts. "And Neji's not used to having to explain why he does stuff; he just does what makes sense to him. I don't care what you two do after this, but damnit, you're gonna hash this out one way or the other." Crossing his arms he gave Sasuke a very serious look. "You can either talk to him now or _I'll_ do it for you and ya don't wanna know what I'll come up with."

There was no point in continuing to refuse to see Neji; apparently, the village was going to dig into them until it eventually happened one way or the other. He was only grateful that Kira was spending the night at Kurenai's; she didn't need to be mixed in with this obvious drama. "Fine." He turned his back and walked towards his bedroom. "I'll be in my room."

He ended up waiting for a good ten minutes before he heard the door to his room open and sensed his ex-lover's presence. Awkward silence immediately filled the room but he didn't turn to look at Neji. He kept his gaze out the window, just like he had the day of their first confrontation. Hyuuga only took two steps into the room itself, keeping close to the door as if he was worried about crowding.

Since it was obvious Neji wasn't going to begin, or was trying to find the words to say, he decided to. Hurt, anger, and frustration was laced thickly within. "You know." His hands clenched into fists. "When I first arrived here I didn't know or understand anything. People would smile and be friendly but then they'd also have pity or even disappointment in their eyes. I constantly felt that I wasn't good enough for my so-called 'friends' because I wasn't what they remembered. Anyone who wasn't my 'friend' hated or feared me. This place is the only thing I know and I've never once felt welcome, wanted, or needed. You were the only person who seemed to be happy about the fact that I was like this but our relationship had been a figment of my imagination. My feelings weren't even real."

At this Hyuuga spoke up, his voice low. "Is that what you believe?" he asked but Sasuke couldn't tell what the other male was feeling, the voice was flat and unemotional. "That your feelings for me were never real?"

"Yes," he answered automatically before shaking his head. "No." He put a hand through his hair. "I had those feelings because I had thought we were lovers, but we weren't. We didn't even know each other. I knew that but I still couldn't shake the feeling off and it seriously upset me. I didn't want to feel something that wasn't really there."

"Sasuke, did it ever occur to you that perhaps the reason you felt that way had nothing to do with your memories and everything to do with your intuition? Sometimes the mind simply knows things, things that we won't always admit to ourselves. The day of that confrontation I hadn't understood why I had wanted to be in your life so badly, I just knew I wanted to be your friend. When you rejected me, I had felt very disappointed, still I knew not why. From that first night I had dreamt of you, my thoughts had filled with you and it was not until later that I realized that it was because I had feelings for you. My subconscious knew it, my heart knew it, but I did not. I…was not unhappy being with you, even if it wasn't something I would have foreseen as being possible."

He let the silence stretch as he turned Neji's words over in his mind. Sasuke could not remember Neji claiming that he had felt that way from the very beginning. He had known about the dreams but he hadn't known that it had started from their first encounter in the forest. What was that supposed to mean? That the two of them had felt the same connection but in different ways?

But that didn't matter. "If you weren't unhappy, why did you leave?" He finally turned to face him and it took a lot for him not to react at Neji's appearance. The man was paler than normal and it was obvious he had not been sleeping. His face was a blank mask but his eyes looked tired and sad. "You were the first and only person I trusted but it was because _you_ kept approaching me. I tried to keep my distance. I tried to leave you the hell alone but you persisted." He could feel the anger rising all over again. "I told you I don't know how many times you didn't _have_ to force yourself to feel something for me then all of a sudden you decide to spout some bullshit about love –"

At this the Hyuuga bristled. "I have spoken no untruths to you."

"Fine." He said it through his teeth. "Sure, you loved me. It was just that the moment things got just a little bit difficult you bolted. Way to show it, Hyuuga. I am definitely convinced at this point." The last part was said flatly with no small amount of sarcasm.

They glared at each other, tense silence filling the room once more. When Neji spoke, it had taken a lot for Sasuke not to show the hurt the words caused him.

"I hated you." The older male said it coldly and his expression shifted from indifference to irritation. "The person who came before you, the Uchiha Sasuke that your friends want back so badly, I _hated_ that man." He let out a hard sigh. "It wasn't until I actually interacted with you that I realized how much I had hated him. He left Konoha to pursue power, allied himself with a man who was killing and testing innocent people in order to gain true immortality. Naruto and Sakura hunted him relentlessly, trying to save him from the growing darkness of his soul. This was the same man who had tried to _murder_ his own teammates and sensei, the same man who had allied himself with one of the most vile and dangerous shinobi to have ever existed, knowing that said shinobi wanted nothing more than to take over the world by rendering us mindless vegetables at his command. That man wanted to single handedly destroy anything and everything I had ever loved for the sake of revenge. I hated Uchiha Sasuke and had you still been him we would not be having this conversation." His gaze hardened. "I meant what I said. I love _you_, not him, and I will never love him nor would I want to."

_I…I did all of those things?_ He was stunned, so much so that he couldn't even think of anything to say. That wasn't all of it, he knew, but it was more than anyone had ever told him and just that bit was devastating. No wonder no one wanted to tell him the full truth. He truly had been a horrible person. Even though Neji knew all of those things and had felt the way he had about his past self, he had still pursued him, had still wanted to be his lover, had even wanted to make their relationship permanent. From the beginning Neji had claimed that he had not associated him with his past self; obviously that was true otherwise he wouldn't have become his lover. By him regaining some of his memories the Hyuuga had recoiled, not from him but from his past self. From the beginning all of his friends had wanted him to regain his memories and the entire time Neji had dreaded it.

"What if by some miracle I did regain my memories?" He didn't even know where the question had come from. It had definitely been automatic. "Would you just ditch me at the first opportunity again?"

He seemed to seriously consider this before responding. "More than likely, if you were to regain your memories you would either be amused at me for foolishly falling for you or be disgusted by my presence. Your past self hated anything and everything to do with this village; I do not think that changed upon his supposed death."

"That's why you left?"

"Yes." When Sasuke looked away with a small scowl Neji crossed his arms and looked uncomfortable. "I have…" A grimace. "I have never had the sort of feelings I'm experiencing and in that I did something foolish. Instead of acting rationally I had misunderstood your discomfort and because I had feared the eventual rejection I left instead, feeling that it would save us the confrontation." A small, wry smirk emerged. "Naruto convinced me that I had been mistaken." The smirk disappeared and he waited until their gazes met once more. "I felt vulnerable; I have held control over my emotions since I was fourteen. It does not mean I do not feel, because I do. I was not always the calm individual you see; most of my early childhood I had been angry and extremely bitter towards my clan. Then you came along and I had found myself simply going with my emotions. I discarded logic. So yes, I ran, but not because I didn't care." He shook his head. "This misunderstanding, the pain you feel from me leaving, I take full blame for it. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. I should have used my head as I always have. But Sasuke, this confrontation…it would have happened eventually."

"What are you talking about?" That made absolutely no sense. "This all happened because of the attack and me regaining some of my memories." He would have continued but Neji shook his head again.

"No, that's not…" He sighed, looking frustrated. "You have never said it but I know you feel the same way I do. You claim that you trusted me but in reality you didn't. A relationship cannot last without trust."

Anger began to bubble back up and Uchiha took a few steps forward. "What do you mean I didn't trust you?" His voice was rising. "Don't try and twist this around. I've told you everything about me that I can remember. I trusted you around Kira; I trusted you with everything!"

"Yes, everything except your heart, as sentimental as it sounds. Tell me, Sasuke, had there ever been a time when we were together that you had not worried I would eventually leave you or stop having feelings for you?"

"I…" He paused, his eye widening in surprise as he seriously considered Neji's words. Any protest he had died on his lips, because he could not deny it. How many times in the past had Neji had to reassure him that he wasn't going anywhere and that he cared? He had constantly questioned his lover's sincerity, had always been on guard just in case the inevitable happened.

_The inevitable? That's like saying I had expected the relationship to eventually fail from the beginning._

But hadn't he? His constant insecurity, his insistence that Neji didn't have to force himself to feel something that wasn't there, it was as if had been waiting for Neji to slip up so that he could justify not truly opening his heart and leaving himself completely vulnerable. Was it any surprise then that Neji felt that if he had gotten his memories back that he would have been dropped? It wasn't as if he had given the Hyuuga anything to hope for. Even though Neji had put himself in a vulnerable position by constantly being the one to deepen their relationship and convey his feelings verbally, Sasuke had held back, fearing the worst. Neji had been completely open and he had locked himself in. Was it any surprise then that he had freaked out at the possibility of being rejected?

"But…that also means you didn't trust me either." He frowned thoughtfully. "You didn't believe in me enough to think I'd still care for you once I got some of my memories back."

He nodded. "It is as you say."

Neji was right. This would have happened eventually. If not this, something else would have come up to separate them like this. Sasuke hadn't trusted Neji and because of that Neji had been unable to believe that his feelings would have held fast upon such a change. So what did that mean? "So…what then? This happened because we both didn't trust each other, so what now?"

"I do not know," he said honestly. "It would be up to you. My feelings have not, nor will they change. Naruto claimed that you were miserable without me –" He gave his ex a lopsided smile. "As I have been miserable without you. In any case, I am the one who left when you needed me the most. My leaving only confirmed the suspicions you had from the beginning –"

"It's not just your fault." Sighing, he turned back towards the window. "You wouldn't have left if you had felt that I cared about you enough for it not to matter if I got my memories back or not. We're both to blame for this."

The Hyuuga didn't respond for a while but this time the silence wasn't tense. Then the other male was there beside him and he automatically turned to face him, breath catching slightly at the close proximity. His heart began to beat furiously; he had missed Neji so much, having him here now seemed surreal.

A hand cupped his cheek and he could not help the desire to lean against it. He had missed Neji's touch, his presence. White eyes tinted with silver took him in, his expression blank. "What do you want, Sasuke?"

He frowned slightly. "You…you know what I want."

Neji smiled thinly. "No, I don't. I know that I love you and that the desires I told you of the day of the picnic still stand…but I no longer wish to assume anything concerning your feelings. That is the reason we had this problem to begin with; we kept assuming instead of trusting and truly confiding in each other."

Considering this, he pulled Neji's hand away but did not let go of his wrist. Instead his other hand moved through thick brown hair and pulled him forward by the back of his head, closing the distance between their lips.


	15. Chapter 15

**15**

x x x x

Sasuke wasn't good with words like Neji, he preferred actions. So, he pulled his lover close, a soft noise escaping between the both of them as their skin came into contact after being deprived for so long. Neji's powerful arms wrapped around him and a shiver slid up his spine at the intensity of their kiss. When they parted, practically gasping, Sasuke began to trail his lips down the other's neck. Neji's grip tightened as he let out a shaky breath.

"I trust you." Sasuke's arms tightened. "No, I _will_ trust you, from here on. My feelings are the same. What you want…I want that too. Whatever we need to do to make...this, _us_, permanent, I'll do." Things needed to be equal between them, he knew, meaning he could no longer hold back. Neji hadn't, so why should he?

He grunted as his back was slammed against the window, his head being pulled down to meet Neji's lips. With little effort he shifted their positions, pinning Neji against the wall, his hands eagerly seeking skin underneath the folds of his robes. A deep moan came from his lover when he trailed lips and tongue along sensitive flesh, making him press their bodies almost flush with each other. Weeks he had gone without touching this man or being near him, and he was happily rectifying this.

"Ah…" Another shiver moved through Neji when he rocked his hips and tilted his head back. "Wait… is Kira…?"

"She's at Kurenai's," the Uchiha murmured and then lifted his head, heat, love, and lust in his gaze. "No more talking." As if to emphasize his point he kissed the other male hard, fingers gripping chocolate brown hair. The response was an affirmative 'Mmm' and he did not try to move to take the lead. Good. He wanted to show Neji that he was serious, that he'd meet him half way concerning their feelings for each other.

Teeth moved lightly along a bare shoulder as he undid and slid the top of Neji's robes down. Hands were moving through his hair and when Sasuke dipped down, the Hyuuga immediately hopped up, wrapping his legs around his lover's waist. His grip on the older man's thighs was hard and he rocked his hips almost forcefully, enjoying the noises that came from Neji, heavily arousing him. Continuing to move his hips he trailed his teeth back up Neji's shoulder and to his neck, mouth closing over sensitive flesh. He sucked at pale skin, wanting to leave a mark. Uchiha didn't know why he liked doing it, only that he did. He liked marking Neji as _his_.

Another groan came from his lover. "Sasuke…" Arching his back, white eyes closed briefly and another noise emerged. "Ah…I…" Another rock of the hips. "Sasuke, please…"

He loved this. Neji was calm and cool for the most part but when it came to this he was borderline wanton and even a little vocal. He liked that. He liked being able to hear that his lover was enjoying their intimacy as much as he was. Nails dug into his skin through fabric as he continued to move, fully aroused but not wanting to rush anything. Oh no, he had things he wanted to do to his Hyuuga.

"Please, what?" he murmured against the crook of his neck, smiling slyly. Was it wrong that he took great pleasure in teasing his lover?

Face flushed, the older male's mouth parted as his eyes become hooded. Appreciative noises were made when one hand moved from a thigh and up hardened muscle. Another rock and a gasp escaped.

Almost immediately after, Neji suddenly stiffens and Sasuke watched with idle fascination as veins began to surround white eyes as his bloodline limit was activated.

"Whoa!" a voice cried out from behind them and both men went completely still. Thankfully, Sasuke's back was to Naruto, blocking the Hyuuga from view. "I uh…guess you two made up huh?"

Slowly, and with not a little bit of irritation, Sasuke let go of his lover's legs so the older man could stand up straight. It took a lot for him not to react when he felt hands slide up his back. Neji's chin rested on his shoulder as pale eyes took in the blond.

"Yes, we have." The veins around Neji's eyes had receded. "Now then, if you do not mind…"

Shaking his head, Naruto found himself chuckling lightly. "Right, right, I get it." He gave them a sly grin. "Just don't do anything _too _freaky…"

"Get out, Naruto," the long haired brunette snapped, face flushed, ignoring the other man's loud exit. For a shinobi, he sure as hell wasn't quiet like one. The irritation quickly faded when a warm, wet tongue trailed along his neck, making him shiver. "Mmm…" He leaned back, rocking his hips as he found himself slammed back into the wall, his lover grinding against him. Immediately, all thoughts of Naruto fled as hot hands moved back down his body and then to the waistband of his pants. Due to the nature of his lover's baggy clothing, once the strap was undone the robes fell, leaving the older male completely naked.

The Uchiha needed skin to skin contact. Immediately he shrugged off his shirt, pressing their bodies firmly together, marveling at how the other looked when he moaned and his breathing quickened. Beautiful. He really didn't understand why Neji was with him; he was half blind, scarred to hell and was a pitiful amnesiac. His lover held a beauty that was almost feminine. He could have anyone he wanted…yet he wanted him.

Arms wrapped around his neck and his head tilted back, giving him better access. "I love you." He murmured against his lover's skin and he felt Neji tremble just a bit before their gazes locked and he answered with a warm smile, pulling him in.

"Take me to bed," came the soft request and Sasuke grinned. Still keeping Neji's legs wrapped around him, he walked over, laying his lover down as he crawled up behind him. They kissed and his hand moved to slide up a thigh, encouraging his lover to wrap his legs around him again.

He slid out of his pants, groaning slightly into the kiss when they rubbed against each other. Neji lifted his hips and it took a lot for him not to just take him right then and there, to fuck him senseless after being without him for so many weeks. Lips trailed hot kisses down a pale throat, nipping lightly. A sharp cry escaped kiss-swollen lips as Sasuke pinched a hardened nipple right as his teeth sank lightly into the sensitive flesh of the other, sucking gently. Powerful, deadly hands slid into his thick hair, gripping tightly.

"Sasuke," his lover breathed in that way that drove him crazy with lust. He tugged with teeth and fingers, rocking his hips in tandem with Neji's as he reacted to his ministrations. His tongue swirled around reddened flesh before drifting lower, trailing along hardened muscle. When he was trailing lazy circles around the Hyuuga's navel he spoke up. "Sasuke." He made a small humming sound when he felt the Uchiha nip him in response. "I want you inside of me. Now."

Blinking, the raven-haired man raised his head, taking in Neji's flushed face and hooded mercury eyes. He was in that sort of mood? It had been a while so he understood and as much as he had wanted to take it slow...that was becoming difficult to achieve. "You sure?" he asked as he reached for the night stand. "We could –" He was cut off as the older male sat up and gently slid off the covering for his eye. Frowning, he lightly grabbed Neji's wrist when he tried to put the black cloth on the stand. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what? Remove the covering?" Slender fingers trailed along the scar that had been left and Sasuke found himself licking his lips, slightly nervous for some reason he didn't understand. He nodded and his lover smiled. "Why not? What do you need to hide from me? There is nothing about you that repulses me and I hate not being able to see all of your face."

The response to that was to crush his lips against Neji's, delving his tongue in, exploring. His finger coated with lube he slowly slid it inside his lover's tight entrance, ignoring the shiver he felt when pale eyes closed, mouth agape with harsh breathing. Hands gripped his arms tightly as he moved in and out, stretching. When he slid the second finger in his arms were squeezed lightly and he regarded his lover.  
"I don't want to wait. I want it rough."

Once again Sasuke found himself blinking. Neji sure was being demanding. Not that he _minded_, but they had never been rough with each other, and he wasn't entirely sure he was comfortable with doing it now. Taking one look at Neji's expression, however, he nodded briefly. He still rubbed some lube on himself and when he lowered his body back down arms and legs wrapped around him. He hesitated for a moment when he positioned himself before he thrust hard, burying himself fully in the Hyuuga's tight channel. His entire body quivered as muscle wrapped around him and breaths came out sharp as he began to surge forward. He had swallowed Neji's sharp cry of pain with a kiss and moaned when blunt nails raked up his back, leaving red welts.

"Fuck…" the long haired male ground out as he arched his back, tears stinging his eyes. His fingers dug into Sasuke's skin as the other pounded into him. Quickly the pain was gone as the tip began to rub along his prostate almost mercilessly and he found himself practically shouting at the intensity. A sharp sting blossomed at his shoulder when Sasuke bit him hard. "Oh, gods…right there…nngh…h-harder…" He began to meet the other's hard thrusts with his hips, his toes curling as he felt himself quickly reaching his peak. It was pain mixed with pleasure and he had wanted that, perhaps as somewhat of a punishment for hurting the Uchiha.

"You're so tight…" Sasuke's voice was a low timbre as he continued to bite and suck on sensitive flesh. When he felt the other tighten his muscles around him his head dipped back. "So…so good. You feel so fucking good Neji…you always feel amazing…" His bites and licks became heated, the two lovers' voices echoing off the walls. He felt his body tightening and he knew he didn't have long at the pace they were going. Perhaps that had been the point. Neji had wanted to skip foreplay altogether.

His back arched and the Hyuuga's head tilted back, mouth agape as he quickly came, hot seed sliding between their bodies. Neji's loud moans of pleasure and muscles tightening almost painfully around his cock had him filling his lover; his grunts and hard breaths could be heard.

The two laid there panting and Sasuke spoke up first. "That was…" He trailed off, a little surprised that it had felt so amazing even though they had gone hard and fast.

"Mmm," was the drowsy reply and they shifted, remaining in each other's arms as they lay side by side. "Thank you, Sasuke." The raven haired male smiled slightly, understanding the deeper meaning behind the words. "I love you."

To think that they had almost let each other slip through their fingers…to go without this feeling forever more. Sasuke didn't even know if that was possible anymore; he was too wrapped up in the intensity that was Hyuuga Neji. No, he'd never be able to go back…not and remain happy. He needed Neji in his life as badly as he needed his daughter. Removing even one of them was too devastating.

Shinobi lived dangerous lives. One never knew when the next day would be their last, so they worked hard, played hard, and loved harder. Their lives required them to grow up early, becoming soldiers from the time they could barely walk. When one has faced death countless of times, when they have seen death and devastation; things that normal individuals would consider serious became trivial. Living in the moment wasn't always best, but it wasn't always bad either.

In their relationship, Neji had always made the first move, he had always been the one encouraging things to go at whatever pace the Uchiha desired. It was time for him to do the same. "Tomorrow," he began. "We will talk to Naruto." He pulled back, meeting his gaze. "Whatever needs to be done. If we have to get married to make things permanent between us, we'll do that." He smirked. "Although I could always just _give_ you a different title besides 'my boyfriend'."

Chuckling, Neji framed Sasuke's face with his hands. "I think 'husband' suits me just fine." He shook his head. "You know, they're going to call us crazy. We've only been together but for a few months."

Sasuke shrugged, looking a mixture between confused and uncaring. "Who cares what everyone else thinks? What does that have to do with us being happy?"

There was a brief moment of silence. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all."

xxxxx

She sensed him before he emerged and she hopped off the swing, sliding out of her sandals so that she could 'see' better. Iruka-sensei wanted her to learn how to move with shoes on but it was extremely difficult. She was grateful that she had been skilled enough to be placed in Akio's class even though she was three years his junior.

"Keisuke…" How he got inside Konoha she had no idea but from what she could sense, he wasn't there to have a friendly family reunion. As she flared out her senses she could see that whatever it was that had been tainting him was spreading. It had started from his neck and was filling his body. It made him very powerful, more powerful than someone his age should be, and it made him frightening. Akio wasn't around, no one was, and she wasn't sure if she could actually take him in a real fight. She knew taijutsu and as long as she kept a foot to the ground she could see her opponent well enough to do proper combat, but she didn't want to fight her brother, not really. She'd just have to stall and hope someone came around eventually. "If you're here to take me away from papa…"

"How have you been, Kira?" His voice was hard and very cold. "It's been a while. I wanted to see you." He walked over until he was standing beside her and she tried not to flinch when she felt fingers brush along her cheek and tuck hair behind her ear. "You're growing out your hair again…good. You look better with long hair."

She bit her lip and turned to him, grasping his hand. "Keisuke I asked around. That Orochimaru person you mentioned that man knew…he's the first generation of the legendary sannin…and he was –"

"Brilliant?" he asked and she shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I know who he is. I know what he's done, but his research led to many amazing medical discoveries. It'll take just a few more years but the old man is convinced that he'll be able to cure your blindness."

"Keisuke!" She tried once again to appeal to him. "_Kabuto_ was under Orochimaru! You can't trust this old man or whatever he is! Please oniisan, it's not what you think. Papa _didn't_ abandon you!"

"Shut up!" He shoved her hard to the ground and she cried out, sightless eyes looking up at her brother. The taint within him was spreading now and he gripped her arm tightly. "I've been nice about this Kira, but you don't understand anything. So Kabuto was under Orochimaru, huh? Well guess what? So was _our father_. There's a reason Uchiha Sasuke was known as the second generation legendary Sannin; he was trained by the snake himself!"

"Let go of her. _Now_." The voice was young but low and cold.

Genjutsu. She sensed it immediately and it was coming from behind her. Her brother stiffened and his grip slackened. What happened?

Hands gripped her arms and she was gently pulled up to her feet and pulled into the arms of her friend. "Kira, are you alright? Who…no, I think I know who this is. You two could be twins."

"Akio-kun…" She felt so relieved, he had come for her. She buried her face in his chest, uncaring of how unsightly it probably seemed.

"Kira…" His hands were moving up and down her arms slowly but she could tell that his focus was straight ahead on her brother. "This level of genjutsu…I can't hold it for long, I don't have the chakra. Make a decision; do you want me to let him go or what?"

The question stunned her. "Akio-kun?"

Even though she couldn't see it he smiled wryly. "He's your brother, right? I figured…since you've never said anything it was for a reason." He frowned. "If you don't make a decision it'll be made for us."

She could sense Iruka-sensei getting closer and nodded. "I…" She gripped his arm and buried her face in his chest. "Please…"

The Uchiha twin blinked as he was released and the other boy slumped slightly, trying not to show that he was panting. Obsidian eyes locked onto crimson as Keisuke took in the situation. Something almost savage graced his expression.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"A friend." As if to prove the point Akio's grip around Kira's shoulders tightened. "Get lost, you've attracted too much attention already."

He was ignored "Is that how it's going to be Ki? Have you replaced me already? Are you abandoning me too?"

"Keisuke -!"

"Shut up!" the Sarutobi boy snapped in a tone that she had never heard before. It wasn't scary but it was angry, very angry. "She's letting you go; she could have easily just let you be captured but she's trying to look out for you…even though you _don't_ deserve it for hurting her."

This enraged the boy. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"I don't _care_! Leave if you're leaving already!"

The angry expression on Keisuke's face turned cold and he glared at Akio. "You and I will meet again."

"I'm counting on it." She was shaking when her twin took off running into the trees, the promise of retribution in his eyes towards the couple. He sighed. "That's your brother, right?" She nodded. "You never mentioned him."

"I…I'm sorry." Her voice sounded watery and he shook his head. That wasn't what he was concerned about.

"Does…your otousan know?" When she stiffened his suspicions were confirmed and he sighed again. After only a few months Akio had a good understanding of his friend. Kira had a rather interesting complex where she hated knowing a loved one was suffering and she being unable to do anything about it. She also had a strange complex concerning being a burden to which he was sure was from her being blind. She had told him once that she hadn't always been that way. "Kira, you're not protecting your otousan by keeping quiet. You need to tell him."

She sniffled and this time he tensed. Damn it, he was going to hate himself if he made her cry; he never wanted to do that to her. "I know but…papa thinks he's dead so…"

And she wanted it to stay that way. If he knew, it'd probably hurt to see his son like that. This was becoming very complicated "Alright Kira…but…please be careful. I promise I won't say anything." It was the wrong thing to do but he couldn't help it. He liked Kira a lot. He'd do anything to keep her happy. Ever since he had first laid eyes on her he had been immediately captivated by her as a person. Her being blind meant little to him. She got around just fine and they both knew he wasn't holding her hand simply to guide her around. Hopefully one day he'd gather enough courage to ask her to be his girlfriend.  
_When I become a genin…that's when I'll ask._

"Is everything alright out here?" The two turned as Iruka joined them, a frown on his face as he looked towards the forest. "I had thought I felt something odd…"

"It was nothing, Iruka-sensei." Akio smiled. "I just came to get Kira so I could walk her home."

The chunnin smiled. "That's great to hear, Akio-kun. You know, I'm really proud of you. Kira-chan isn't even in your class but you've been a great help to her."

Akio blushed, putting a hand behind his head. "It's…nothing, Iruka-sensei. I like helping Kira-chan."

A small knowing smile emerged on their sensei's kind face and he chuckled a bit. "Right then. Well, you two get on home and remember to practice for the test at the end of the week."

Both children nodded. "We'll both be ready."

When Iruka left and the children were heading home, Kira could sense Akio's uneasiness as he held her hand to guide her home. Her free hand moved to her mouth, her brows furrowing. He wasn't angry with her – Akio was _never_ angry at her – but he was unhappy and that made her unhappy. He was her best and only friend and she cared for him a lot. He was kind and his chakra always had a warm and comfortable feeling to it. He never judged her, never hated the fact that she was the daughter of _that_ man. Uchiha Sasuke.

Keisuke was wrong; there wasn't anything about her father that she _didn't_ know about. She had made it her business to know, although she had no intentions of telling her father. She knew how he had betrayed the village, how he had gone to Orochimaru for power and how he had eventually killed their uncle Itachi. She even knew about how Uchiha Madara had manipulated their father and how Kabuto had dug him up after his supposed 'death' to begin his sick expirements. She knew because Kabuto had told her, and she had sensed no untruths from him. Why bother when the truth was so much more disturbing and could possibly tilt the child's allegiance to your favor?

It didn't work, however. Kira didn't care about all of that; she didn't care about her father's past because that wasn't who he was anymore. What she cared about was the man who had risked everything to save them, the one who had all but killed himself to escape with them so they could have a better life. She cared about the man who, despite being drugged beyond coherency, had done his best to hold his daughter in his arms and say anything, even if it was just her name and that he loved her.

Her father would never remember his distant past, Kabuto had seen to it. His plan had been to wipe the memories and then retrain him to be obedient to him as he had all those women he had taken. Kira had never known what that snake did with those females; all she knew was that sometimes in the compound she had seen or felt one and it had been...disturbing. Mindless drones that shuffled around mumbling under their breaths, sometimes holding an infant.

"Akio-kun?" she asked the question tentatively as she could feel that they weren't heading in the direction to the still being constructed Uchiha district. Instead they were heading towards the bridge overlooking the Nakano river. He didn't answer her but she could sense that his agitation was rising. When she squeezed his hand he turned to her briefly and the agitation diminished only slightly. When they finally reached the bridge the Sarutobi boy stopped, turning to face her.

"What's going on with you and your brother, Kira-chan?" He asked it softly but his grip on her hand tightened slightly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want; I know that we haven't honestly known each other long but...you didn't see the way he looked at you." There was a lot of emotion behind his words and her sightless gaze shifted to her feet. She wanted to tell him, she really did, but trust was something that was hard to come by for Kira and as much as she cared for Akio; she wasn't entirely sure –

"I get it."

Tilting her head, Kira blinked and her gaze shifted to the direction of his voice. It had sounded hard and flat. Worry etched on her small face. "Akio-kun..."

She gasped as she was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace and her face turned several shades of red. The Uchiha could feel his breath softly along her neck and his body felt as warm as his chakra. She didn't respond; was unsure how. Biting her lip, she tried again. "Akio-kun, I..."

"It's one thing to lose someone you never even met," he began, cutting her off. His voice sounded muffled against her neck. "I know all about my father and what a great man he was, how powerful he was. I even know what he looks like through pictures and people performing jutsu. I always wondered what it would have been like to grow up with him; I wonder sometimes if he'd be happy having me for a son."

Small arms went around the boy and Kira fought the urge to cry. He didn't need to do this. "Please. Akio-kun, don't."

"I've never lost anyone close to me that I actually _knew,"_ He continued as if she hadn't spoken. "I don't plan on starting now...alright Kira-chan? I don't want to look like uncle Shikamaru whenever he thinks about my father because you can tell he feels as if he failed him someone...failed me, you know? I hate that, because mother doesn't blame him and I don't either." He pulled away but kept his hands on her shoulders. "You don't have to tell me, but I'm not going to let anything happen to you either if I can help it. You're my best friend and...I like you a lot."

If possible, her face became even redder. "I...I promise that..." She sighed, taking a step forward and pressing her cheek against his shoulder. As much as she had tried not to for multiple reasons, she couldn't help her growing feelings for her friend. She knew he liked her romantically and she liked him as well. "I promise I'll tell you everything someday, Akio-kun, because I-I like you too. And I promise to get stronger so you never have to worry about me."

He chuckled at this and when she stood up straight with a curious expression on her face she gasped once more when she felt lips brush along her forehead. Face now flaming, she shyly looked away but his hands slid from her shoulders to take hers.

"We'll get strong together," he promised her. "Because I want to protect Kira-chan always. You...should always be smiling."

She was at a loss for words. Although she had always been close to Keisuke – the two had a unique bond that only twins could hold – hearing Akio say those types of things made her feel much different. She had never really interacted with the other children at the compound and she had definitely never held any romantic attachment towards any of them. With Akio she felt a bit out of her element and yet it didn't bother her or make her feel uncomfortable. He cared so much about her and she didn't want to be a disappointment. She didn't want to fail him like she had her father and Keisuke.

_Akio-kun..._ "I...you should always be smiling too." Her expression grew downcast. "So..."

His grip on her shoulders tightened. He knew what she was about to say; it wasn't the first time the words had been uttered. "Don't do that Kira-chan. No matter what, having _you_ in my life makes me very happy."

Kira shook her head. He didn't understand. Keisuke was dangerous; something was terribly wrong with him, and if anything were to happen to her first friend she'd be devastated. "But Akio-kun..." She cut herself off when he shook his head.

"Promise me." He sounded very serious. "Instead of thinking you're a burden or that it's your fault things happened or whatever, promise me instead you'll put that energy and those feelings towards getting stronger." He made a small noise to let her know he was smiling. "You're _not_ getting rid of me. We're friends forever; that's the promise we made and I don't go back on my promises. So you have to promise, Kira-chan. We'll get stronger together and you'll try to shift all of those negative feelings towards that, okay?"

A small smile graced her lips and she nodded. Akio was a pillar of strength she hadn't expected to come into her life but it was difficult to regret it. She loved her papa unconditionally but he had so much going on in his life that she didn't want him to ever have to worry about her. She liked Neji-san a lot; he made her papa very happy and it was more than obvious that the two loved each other. He was very nice to her and had taught her a considerable amount about chakra control and 'seeing' things with her other senses. Despite that, however, Neji-san was constantly worrying about her papa and she didn't want to add to that.

With Akio she worried about him getting hurt or being too weak to do anything for him, but there wasn't any stress concerning confiding in him because he had other things to worry about. Although she didn't confide in him too much, she felt more comfortable in doing so. Kira was afraid of having him get too close but there was a part of her that was beginning not to care about that so much. He was quickly becoming someone very precious to her.

"Alright." The smile widened. "I promise. We'll get stronger together and protect each other."

Dismissing all of her worries about Keisuke, she took his hand and allowed him to lead her home. This time, however, the two children walked much closer to each other than ever before.


	16. Chapter 16

16

xxxxx

Dark eyes took in the neatly written script that held her new name. At the compound she had been known only as #002. Now, she was known as Uchiha Kiu. At six years old she had seen and experienced more than she ever should have; eyes that should have been bright and full of vitality were clouded with distrust and skepticism. All she and the others close to her age had ever known were sterile rooms, gruff guards and sadistic doctors and scientists. They knew how to fight; they hadn't had a choice in the matter. Some of the children did better than others, some were naturally gifted. They had always been told that their Uchiha blood made them so, even though none of them had yet to activate the Sharingan.

Their history lessons had been about the clan that had come before them and what would be expected of them in the future. All of them had been bred from women with supposedly strong genes. They knew not who their father was and it was never discussed. Many of the children were too young to remember or understand, but she did. She clearly remembered the early mornings, the daily beatings, the grueling training. The first twenty children had ended up having it the worst, her especially since she had always been rebellious. It was that very nature of hers that led her to meet Uchiha Keisuke.

He had been the only child like them without a number. When she had asked, they had claimed it was because he and his sister Kira were special. How they were special no one knew, only that they were told to stay away from them. She remembered the defiance in his eyes, the way his jaw would set and his gaze would roam angrily. It had been one day while on the training grounds that the two had formally met and the moment their gazes locked she knew she would follow him to the ends of the earth. Uchiha Keisuke was...different. She had no idea how but it had never mattered to her. He was strong, fast, ambitious, and fierce. When he spoke it demanded attention. Often he had snuck out to visit her and she had loved it, had loved the thrill of potentially being caught by the guards. She would never forget him.

Now she was residing in a different prison and until they released them that's all she was going to see it as. It didn't matter that the old people were very kind and patient. It didn't matter that they all had names now instead of numbers. Until Kiu could leave the Hyuuga estate they were just a kinder version of their old enemies.

_Kiu,_

_Watch her._

Balling the paper up in her hands she tossed it into the trash bin, irritated. The enemy weren't allowing the children to go outside, so the request that had been delivered to her could not be accomplished. How could she watch something she couldn't see?

_Damnit, Keisuke, give me something to work with here!_ The short haired brunette thought angrily. As far as she knew of it, Kira had been rescued along with the others but she had been taken somewhere else. No one would tell her where Kira had gone and she was beginning not to care. She loved Keisuke and would do anything for him, but she knew when she was being used. The five year old hated it and so hated Kira. Why did Keisuke care about that girl so much when it seemed that she was happy with her life the way it was? Had that girl even gone after Keisuke? Asked after him?

_I'll watch her and prove to you that she's not worth your time. You need someone more loyal._

Kiu had no intentions of escaping today, but she would test her boundaries. From what she could tell the Hyuuga seemed to have some sort of weird ability that let them see things from behind; a few of the more carefree children had tried to play little pranks only to fail miserably. There were two Hyuuga children that also stopped by to spar with them every now and then. They were much older than everyone else and seemed to have some strange ability that made their already funny eyes look even more so. They also couldn't be sneaked up on. She would have to be careful.

During their lunch time Kiu was able to sneak away from the group and slipped all the way into the main house. She had been top of her class when it had come to stealth but she was still at the Academy level and had almost gotten caught twice.

She had been absolutely amazed at how easy it had been so far to get around...where were all the guards? Weren't all of them supposed to be under a tight watch? The thought of them having actually been honest about them not being prisoners was quickly rejected. They could not leave, so they were prisoners. The elders said that they trusted the others not to leave until it was time and the other kids had ate it up but Kiu had known better...or had she?

"Kira?" a voice called from behind her, sounding confused. Why she turned she had no idea; she didn't even like that name much less wanted to acknowledge herself as such. A man was standing a few feet away from her, his white gaze a mixture of surprised and confused. He was Hyuuga, the eyes were a dead giveaway, with long brown hair tied at the ends. He was holding a package. The moment their gazes locked the man frowned. "You are not Kira." He seemed to be talking more to himself. "Who are you and why are you on these grounds?"

At first she had panicked a bit, knowing that she had been caught. At his confusion, however, she found herself confused. "Aren't you a Hyuuga? You should know who I am; _your_ people gave me my name." Who was this guy to not know such a simple thing?

Yet he did not know, for his eyes widened slightly in surprise before it shifted back to a blank mask. There was a small pause. "I have only recently returned from a long mission so I am unaware of what you are speaking of. Identify yourself." It was not a harsh demand but she knew he definitely wasn't going to let her go anywhere without getting an answer from her. She mentally shrugged; he'd find out eventually anyway.

"My name is Uchiha Kiu. Your village rescued me and the others from a compound where we were being raised."

"Uchiha?" Now he was even more confused and she wondered just how incompetent their clan was to not tell their people what was going on within their own estate. "Why is your last name Uchiha?"

What was this guy? Daft? "Our father is an Uchiha," she told him, her tone reflecting her opinion of him. "They never told us who he was, just that he's our father. All of ours."

The man paled but his expression became unreadable. Another moment of silence. "Kiu-san, could you take me to the others?"

The young girl blinked, surprised by an adult speaking to her so formally. She was so surprised that she merely nodded dumbly and began to guide him back to the branch house, oblivious to his inner turmoil.

xxxxx

_Gaara,_

_I heard some really distressing rumors regarding the Hyuuga head. She's getting closer to thirty and hasn't had an heir yet. The council is stressing her to find a husband within the next year. Little brother, I know you're probably thinking that I'm overreacting because of what happened with me and Shikamaru...that is a part of it but a lot of it is us wanting you to be happy. I know what you've been saying, but is it how you truly feel or are you just acting like that because you know that when you come back you'll become Kazekage again?_

_If that's the case, if that's the only thing stopping you then cut it out. I'm Kazekage now and I'm quite comfortable with my position. Since I know how stubborn you are I'm going to put my foot down._

_Don't come home until you straighten things out with Hyuuga. You'll thank me later._

xxxxx

"Neji, don't you dare say anything to Sasuke about this," Naruto warned and the Hyuuga's expression was nothing short of murderous.

"Do you take me for a fool?" The older male crossed his arms as he stood with Hinata in the Hokage's office. "I intend to do nothing but be there for him when _you_ finally tell him the truth; that is what one does in a marriage." Even after three months that word seemed so strange on his lips. Sasuke was becoming better adjusted and he was incredibly powerful now. His skills were only slightly off of what they had been after the war. A few times he had been asked if he wanted to become a Konoha shinobi but he had staunchly refused and only Neji – and perhaps Naruto – knew the reasons why.

Neji had left ANBU and supported the three of them from his missions. Not that Sasuke did nothing to contribute, but with this revelation the Hyuuga had an idea of what should probably happen. Hinata seemed to be on the same page, for when he looked at her she nodded in understanding.

Naruto, however, didn't really notice the exchange as he was too busy freaking out. "What?" He looked highly distraught. "What do you mean I gotta –"

"Sasuke has mentioned taking Hinata up on her offer to establish the Uchiha clan with the children," Neji cut in. "However, he isn't aware that they are...actually his." And knowing that was devastating. He understood why Naruto had kept silent but he'd be damned if he was taking the fall for this one. The newlyweds loved each other and trusted each other to the best of their ability, but Sasuke still held a lot of insecurities and Neji refused to allow him to think that he had been keeping something this large from him.

He was still trying to make up for leaving him, even if it had been a misunderstanding. "Hinata-sama has already stated that she would send Hyuuga to the Uchiha district to help care for the children. We will have to integrate them into society somehow but for now we need to get Sasuke to get on board with this...but we will not keep him in the dark any longer." Neji's voice held finality to it. "If you do not tell him, I will. If you are worried about him being able to handle it then do not; that is what I am here for."

"I think it would be better if we told them that their real father has died," Hinata cut in and both males stared at her with surprise. "The public and the children...if all of them knew that their father was the head of the Uchiha clan, it would cause too many problems in the future with succession." She looked at Naruto. "What about Kira-chan's mother? Were you able to find out anything at the compound?"

_She is asking for a reason._ Neji realized as he looked at her. _Hinata-sama, what are you thinking?_

There was tense silence and then Naruto nodded. "It took a while because there was so much stuff to go through but yeah, we know why...along with some other top secret stuff." He sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking as if he wanted to be anywhere but his office. "First of all, Sasuke said that he thought his son was dead right? Well, turns out that Kabuto had lied about that."

"Keisuke is alive?" Neji was truly stunned. "Why did you keep this from him? Sasuke –"

"It ain't what you're thinking." The blonde shook his head. "According to the notes, Kabuto caught both Kira-chan and Keisuke but the boy had tried to slit his own throat. Kabuto saved him and did some crazy stuff. He's got that cursed seal thingie that Orochimaru had given Sasuke but it's different somehow..." He shook his head. "Sakura could tell ya the details; when she explained it I got all cross eyed trying to understand it all. Don't know what exactly it was Kabuto did to him but from what Sakura told me that I _did_ understand was that the boy is under that guy's control. He's sneaked into the village a few times to see his sister and ANBU trailed him to see if he'd lead them back to Kabuto, but he's a slippery bastard. So all we know is that the boy is with Kabuto and that more than likely he's still conducting experiments. As for their mom, the reason they're so special was because she was an Uchiha."

"Wait, what?" Both Neji and Hinata stared at the Hokage. "That doesn't make any sense. How was that even possible? The only Uchiha alive after Itachi had slain the clan had been himself, Sasuke, and Madara."

"No," Naruto shook his head. "There was a girl. She didn't even know she was an Uchiha. According to Kabuto's notes, her parents had been medical nin on a mission in another country concerning some sort of virus that had been going around. The girl was born in the village but both her parents got the virus and some of the survivors took her in. Kabuto ran into her completely by accident and had taken her. That's why he was so pissed off in his notes when she died."

So Kabuto was alive and was manipulating one of the twins...twins that were genuine Uchiha, of no mixed origins. Keisuke had been in contact with Kira...why had she remained silent?

_She could have told Sasuke and he decided not to tell me._ He would understand although it would sting just a bit. He would need to talk to Kira to get confirmation from her concerning her brother. If Kira hadn't said anything – the more likely scenario as she tended to be protective of her father – should he approach her?

"Alright," Neji sighed. This entire situation was insane and he really wanted to find Kabuto and kill him once and for all. As far as he was concerned, that snake had ruined enough lives. "There is much to do and little time to do it." He turned to leave and then paused, his gaze shifting to Naruto. The Hokage blinked owlishly as the Hyuuga walked over to him quite calmly.

Then he punched him in the jaw. Hard.

Hinata gasped and Naruto, who hadn't been expecting it, tipped over on his chair and onto the ground with a hard thud as Neji absently shook his hand. "Hypocrite," he muttered and without another word walked out, a small smirk on his face when the Hokage started chuckling, understanding the Hyuuga's strange behavior.

"Looks like he's been taking lessons from that bastard."

xxxxx

Hinata looked at the letter from the former Kazekage once more, frowning in thought. She was unsure as to what she was supposed to do or say in such a situation. She had an _idea_ of what was going on and she had a _feeling_ that the current Kazekage had something to do with it. A small smile flickered on her lips as she read the letter again. Gaara did not often show emotion but she was sure that his sister's meddling was something he hadn't been pleased with.

Regardless, the Hyuuga head found herself feeling a little giddy because his letter was all but implying something that she had thought he hadn't felt. He had not outright admitted to it, but his concern over her potential marriage in the next year and his request to wait until they could meet again was enough.

It wasn't a matter of love; she understood that. The two of them cared for each other and those feelings were intimate in nature. However, they had only spent a little time together. They did not really form a bond that went as deep as that. Not that it would matter. Hinata was not in a position to marry for love and as an adult she was more than content with this. She had duties and responsibilities, her clan came first. The years with her being clan head had seen many changes and would see many more, especially now with the Uchiha situation being the way it was.

More than likely, the redhead would seriously contemplate his options as he headed back for Konoha. As her lavender eyes scanned over the letter for the last time she let out a small sigh and smiled slightly. Then, she pulled out paper and a brush.

_Gaara-san,_

_Yes, it is true what Temari-sama says; at the end of next summer I will need to choose a husband. It is the council's wish and while they will never demand that I have heirs, it is something I must do as I knew it would be a requirement of me when I became clan head. To answer your question: yes, I have someone in mind. His name is Seito and he is a third cousin of mine from the former branch house. Seito and I became close when I became clan head and he is actually one of my advisers. He's a good person and he has a strong command over the Byakugan. These are things I have to take into consideration._

_I can marry outside of my clan, although the council normally wants the clan head to keep the bloodline pure by marrying another Hyuuga. I think...if this had happened to me ten years ago I wouldn't have been very happy about it, but I'm no longer sixteen. I am almost twenty-seven and I've accepted my responsibilities and duties. I am not sure when an individual stops being idealistic. I think maybe it varies from person to person. Seito would be a good husband. He would try hard to make me happy. That is more than what most people in my position get so I am grateful._

_I loved once, a long time ago, and I don't think I've ever experienced that feeling since. I will admit, the moments we had together made me very happy and for the first time I felt something again. It wasn't the same feeling, but I think that's because I'm older and I'm a different person than I was back then._

_I am sorry that Temari-sama put you through so much trouble. You have your dreams Gaara-san; please do what you can to fulfill them. No matter what, I will always be your friend._

A knock on the door dragged her from her reverie. "Yes?"

The topic of her letter politely stepped in, bowing respectfully to her. "Hinata-sama, the documents and reports that you requested have been compiled. Would you like me to gather the others for a meeting?"

Hyuuga Seito was a tall and stocky male, angular features with cool lavender eyes. He was not a cold man but he was very serious as was most of his clan. His black hair was down to his shoulders and loose bangs framed his face. At the moment he was wearing a plain dark blue yukata, his forehead wrapped in bandages, hiding his cursed seal. He held a thick folder in his hand and his gaze turned curious as he regarded her at her desk. "Hinata-sama, is something the matter? You look perturbed."

She did? "I do?" She smiled reassuringly at her cousin and advisor. "I'm sorry, Seito-san. I was replying to a friend of mine's letter. There are...some interesting things happening."

"Ah, I see." He handed her the folder and she began to look over the contents. He did not pry and she did not elaborate; Hyuuga were not nosy individuals. The atmosphere was pleasant enough; Seito did not have an overwhelming presence. He was also unaware of Hinata's decision to select him; if he knew more than likely he would not be terribly pleased. Seito cared for his leader but he was not a man who enjoyed being tied down. Perhaps it was because of the life he had to live for so long as a branch member.

After a few minutes she closed the folder detailing the plan for the Uchiha clan. Thankfully, most of the higher officials around the village were being cooperative which was a huge load off her mind. "Thank you, Seito-san. Yes, I would like to have a meeting with everyone in the Hyuuga compound that will be involved in this project."

He nodded. "Very well, Hinata-sama." He paused just long enough to catch Hinata's attention again. When she looked up at him he seemed to be shifting uncomfortably.

"Seito-san?"

"Forgive my forwardness, Hinata-sama, but are the rumors true that you have already made your decision concerning choosing a husband?"

She blinked owlishly at him even though she had an idea of why he was asking. And the council wondered why she never tells them anything. "I have not made a final decision, Seito-san. I have a while yet. Is there something the matter?"

Seito moved to shake his head, realized who he was about to lie to and sighed, shrugging. "I am just concerned is all, Hinata-sama. I and your other advisers understand your situation, but we would also like to see you happy."

Hinata smiled warmly. "Thank you, I'm so honored to know that." And it was true. They didn't have to care about her feelings but the fact that they did made her feel as if she had a stronger bond with everyone and that was what she wanted for the clan.

Ten years ago Seito wouldn't have given a damn about her situation; she was from the main house after all. The fact that she could see the clan slowly come together as one in her lifetime was nothing short of a blessing. It gave her hope for her clan and for the budding Uchiha clan. A much needed change for one, a fresh start for the other.

He returned her smile. "I will stand by whatever decision you make, Hinata-sama. You've done much for the clan. We will all stand by you until the end."

She ignored the tears that began to sting her eyes and nodded, swallowing down the lump of emotion that had threatened to emerge. "Thank you...Seito-san."

xxxxx

"Well," Neji panted, a smirk on his handsome face. "I see you've resorted to cheating now."

"Hn." Returning the smirk, Sasuke 'disappeared' and the Hyuuga activated his Byakugan, eyes narrowing.

When Sasuke reemerged Neji was waiting for him and the attacker barely avoided having his left arm locked up. Although the Hyuuga was not nearly as fast as the Uchiha that didn't matter; Neji wasn't ex-ANBU for nothing. Faster Sasuke might be, but he was not at Neji's level when it came to taijutsu and close range combat. The moment the Uchiha got too close he would immediately have to back off; the Hyuuga's defense was tight and left for few openings.

Their moves were graceful. Sasuke marveled at how exotic and beautiful the Jyuuken was. It almost seemed like a dance with the elegant way Neji would move as he struck at vital points that could kill a man. Long brown hair flowed which only made it look that much more enticing. Narrowed eyes surrounded by chakra filled veins did little to mar his features.

He wasn't sure if it was because of the fact that they were sparring or if it was just Neji's presence, but the Uchiha found himself wanting to do other things besides spar. A tongue moved over slightly chapped lips as he shifted his body to avoid a well placed kick, his hands blocking another that had been aimed at his temple.

Going on the defensive he began to retreat into the forest and away from the training grounds, his eye narrowing and a smirk emerging.

An image of a young boy emerged in his mind. It was Neji at thirteen, when Sasuke had first met him at the chunnin exams. There were only flashes, but he remembered the fact that he had been able to sense the Hyuuga's power and how intrigued he had been by the older male. Back then, power had been the only thing he had recognized as being worth his time because if he could defeat it he had felt that he would have been that much closer to being able to take on Itachi. Why he wanted to fight Itachi was something Sasuke didn't really know, that was just what he remembered.

There had been Gaara, the former Kazekage, whom he had wanted to fight as well but there had been a difference between the redhead and the Hyuuga. There had been something unstable about Gaara, an uncontrollable bloodlust. With Neji there had been cool confidence and obvious arrogance. Although he had truly wanted to fight Gaara, he definitely remembered how much he had wanted to fight the other as well. He had wanted to wipe the arrogant smirk off the other boy's face.

Now he wanted to wipe that smirk off his face for a completely different reason.

When they were far enough in the Uchiha began to up his speed, using the trees to keep the Hyuuga slightly off balance. Intrigue flickered through white eyes as he tried to determine what it was his lover was up to. Neji pressed on, trying to close the distance but Sasuke was the faster of the two. Just as he was contemplating a way to trap the slippery Uchiha he felt something slice along his back and the sound of fabric ripping filled the air. Jumping up and to the side, he realized that somehow Sasuke had sliced the back of his top in half; more than likely with concentrated chakra around his hand.

_What are you doing, Sasuke?_ Neji thought, genuinely confused. He shrugged out of the top as he landed back on the ground, swiping a hand along his exposed brow in an attempt to wipe the sweat from his eyes. He abruptly stopped moving when he realized that he could no longer see Sasuke...which was impossible with his Byakugan activated. While his range wasn't nearly as long as Hinata's, he could see at least two kilometers around and there was _nothing_. It was as if the other male had completely disappeared.

_There is no doubt in my mind now; Sasuke is definitely as powerful as he was ten years ago...which means I am probably no longer a real match for him._ Neji was strong but he was nowhere near a Kage's level of strength. The thought actually was a little annoying, mostly because it wounded his ego. Although he was happy that the raven haired man was back on track, he hated admitting when he was out of his league.

Something hard gripped his wrists and the Uchiha appeared in his vision. His arms were pulled behind his back. He immediately began to send chakra to those points in an attempt to send a small shock but then he was being moved at an uncanny speed and it made him lose focus. His front hit something solid and he grunted, turning his head to the side while gasping for air. His lover's warm body pressed against his back, the grip on his wrists becoming borderline painful as he tried to struggle. He was glad his face was already flushed; it was pretty obvious at this point that they were about to do a different type of spar. He was completely convinced when he felt Sasuke's hand slide up his abdomen and chest.

The long haired beauty shivered when the Uchiha's tongue trailed along the shell of his ear. He tilted his head back, revealing his slender neck. Sasuke licked his lips again.

"I thought we were supposed to be sparring." Neji sounded amused which quickly melted into a shaky breath as Sasuke's free hand slid down underneath the fabric of his robes. "This is..." A small gasp. "...not sparring. You're cheating again."

"Hn," was the response as his hand wrapped around his lover's fully hardened member, planting a kiss on his neck. "It's only cheating if my actions were the direct cause." He rocked his hips, trailing his tongue up. Another shiver moved through his lover as he trailed his teeth down his collarbone and to his shoulder. "I think this was before I pinned you." His hand pumped slowly, thumb trailing along an engorged head. "Admit it."

The Hyuuga chuckled wryly. "I concede to...nothing..." He arched his back. "You have no proof."

He was spun and before his back could hit the tree he had wrapped his legs around the Uchiha's waist, his arms going around the other man's shoulders. Although the memories that Sasuke were slowly getting back weren't much, it was obvious that it was making him much more confident and aggressive. This didn't bother Neji at all. For one, he wanted Sasuke to feel more confident and sure of himself, he needed that. As for the aggressive part, well...

There was only one person Neji felt comfortable enough to lose control around and that was the person whose arms he was in, the one he had married. All of it was strange and yet exhilarating: marriage, the upcoming clan, having a family. These were things he never would have seen himself doing even a year ago. When he was with Sasuke nothing truly mattered except him and their little family.

His name came out as a low moan when his lover finally filled him and the Hyuuga tossed his head back, fingers digging into shoulders. He thought putting himself back into a vulnerable position would have made him balk; the thought that he had lost Sasuke had been devastating to him. He had thought that their bond had been somewhat damaged and would take forever to repair. There were a lot of things he had thought would happen when they had gotten back together and they had all been thrown out the window.

He was as wild and carefree with the Uchiha as he had been before, perhaps even more so. It didn't bother him that his lover was beginning to take more control concerning everything, not just the intimacy department. It didn't bother him that Sasuke technically had more children than one could rightfully shake a stick at. As much as he had been a staunch supporter of learning from his mistakes, Neji found that when it came to _this_, all logic and caution could go to hell. All caution and logic did was keep him away from what made him the happiest.

Stars danced behind closed eyelids as white hot pleasure ripped through him. He writhed, gasped, moaned and shivered. Sasuke's voice was hoarse against his ear as fingers dug into his thigh and words of love and endearment were declared. All of it felt so surreal and amazing; if he had a choice to go back he would change nothing. He was attached to someone and he should have seen it as another cage, one more thing shackling him down.

"I love you."

But he didn't. And he never would. 


	17. Chapter 17

**AN:** Apologies. Since _Anchor_ had already been completed months before I posted it here, I kept forgetting to update it on This is the last chapter. There was to be a sequel, but I lost the muse. I hope you enjoyed.

xxxxx

**17**

xxxxx

The Hokage staggered back, holding his swelling jaw "Okay, I deserved that..."

"Naruto." Sasuke stepped forward, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him up, his crimson eye narrowing dangerously. "Never again. That's it, I'm done." He glared at Sakura, Tsunade, and Kakashi. "You all are _going_ to tell me everything, but first let me get this straightened out in my head."

Sasuke took a deep breath and tried to sort out the bombshell that had just been laid on him like a punch to the stomach, or a kick to the balls if one felt like using puns. He had _how_ many children? _All_ of those kids were genetically his? Were he a weaker man, or a woman, he would have fainted; as it was, he just felt confused. What was he supposed to do about so many children?

How was he supposed to feel? He loved Kira and Keisuke but could he honestly love all of those children the same? The Uchiha felt detached from them; they didn't know him and he hadn't known them. Perhaps with interaction he would grow fond of them, but he couldn't lie to himself – Kira and Keisuke would always hold a special place in his heart because he had known and been with them. He had struggled and fought for their freedom.

_Keisuke_. That was another issue all on its own and was the reason the Hokage was sporting his current facial injury. His son was _alive_, not only alive but more than likely with Kabuto under some sort of guise. What happened? Why would Keisuke willingly do such a thing? None of it made any sense to him and he was desperate to find his son and bring him back and away from that guy's influence.

Kira had known and while he knew why she had remained silent, he would still talk to her. There were some things one did not keep to themselves. The only other person who hadn't known was Neji and with good reason; the Hyuuga would have forced them to tell Sasuke the truth as he had done now.

He had to admit, despite everything, Neji had been the only person who had truly stood by his side and tried to genuinely bond with _him_. Not the old Sasuke; a guy whose memories he had but weren't enough to redefine him as a person; but him.

"Um..." all eyes turned to Hinata who had been sitting off to the side. "I...have some suggestions to make about all of this."

Still rubbing his jaw, Naruto turned to her as he climbed back into his chair. "Yeah, sup?"

White eyes so identical but different to Neji's glanced in his direction. "Do you wish to reestablish the Uchiha clan? If you do, I think there are some things you should do to keep your small clan and the village from any future huge disputes."

A hand settled on his shoulder and he glanced over at Neji. The Hyuuga's face held no emotion but he did eventually smile thinly in reassurance. He turned back to Hinata. "Yeah, at this point I don't even think it's a choice."

"Alright then." She took a deep breath. "One, you should ensure that Kira-chan is listed as your heir. With all of those children being yours biologically, the potential of an uprising for who would have rights to your position would be high. That said, all of the children should take on their mother's last names." The entire group looked at her. "Not all of them look like Uchiha, but if we want to truly integrate them into society we can't have an influx of children with the Uchiha name running about. It just won't go over well.

"The five year old group is the smallest; they would be the only ones who would really question anything and that is fine. We will let them keep the Uchiha name and we'll tell them that the Uchiha who they are related to is not actually Sasuke-san. There was another woman, Kira and Keisuke's mother, who was also an Uchiha. It will be a lie, but it would be best if that handful of children believed they came from her."

"It makes sense." The Uchiha shrugged. "The others are too young, so they'll be easier to raise in that aspect." And if he were honest with himself, he was still struggling to force himself to feel something for the virtual strangers that just so happened to be his.

"I would also like to propose that the age groups be split into separate houses within the district. The caretakers have agreed to watch over the children in the Uchiha district. The village will continue to believe that they were children rescued from Kabuto, because that is true. This way, they can slowly be integrated into the village and the academy. I...I know people will question how many of them look alike but we can use the excuse that Kabuto had experimented on them. It is...very underhanded I know, but for the safety of the clan as a whole..."

"Naw, we get what you're saying, Hinata." Naruto nodded. "It sucks, but that's actually a good way to go about it. They'll be kids that the Uchiha adopted because they needed it. They'll still be clan members but they'll be registered under their mother's last names. So they're a part of the clan but not...uh, I guess." He nodded. "We'll do that then."

Kakashi tilted his head in inquiry. "Does that mean you'll want the older children to enroll into the academy? They're all old enough."

Hinata nodded. "That would be best, but it will be optional, of course. In fact, some of them becoming civilians would be ideal, since we need civilians and shinobi in districts to run things."

"Alright." Putting his hands through his hair, Sasuke sighed. "You sure training me for this isn't going to compromise your time, Hyuuga?"

She shook her head, smiling warmly. "The Uchiha clan becoming functional and running smoothly is something on the Hyuuga agenda, so I am at no imposition."

He was quiet for a long time, going over everything in his head dozens upon dozens of times. "Alright, is there anything else I should know about?" He looked at the group. "Because seriously, I can't take any more surprises like this."

"Besides what's already happened in your past...no." Sakura answered this time, her expression sad. "And we'll...I mean Naruto and I, we'll tell you everything, Sasuke-kun. No more secrets."

Standing, he turned to leave the room. He paused and then turned back to everyone sitting at the round table in the conference room with a blank expression. "The next time Keisuke enters this village, I want to know. _Immediately._ I can almost promise you if I track him down, Kabuto won't be too far behind." _And I'll be waiting, you bastard._

xxxxx

She sensed his chakra the moment he had entered the grounds but pretended not to notice. Instead, she continued to regard the little girls from the older group as she instructed them on different medicinal herbs for ointments and other treatments. It wasn't until someone came and informed her of his presence that she excused herself, walking into the small greeting room.

He looked wonderful; as wonderful as he had upon his departure. His hair was a little longer, but that was about it concerning a change. He had been standing with his back turned to her and when he turned, his eyes widened slightly before a small but warm smile emerged.

"Hinata-san." He tilted his head slightly as she approached, returning his small smile, and he reached out, taking her hands in his. "As promised, I've returned."

"Gaara-san; yes." She was surprised when he pulled her close, powerful arms wrapping around her slender body. He dipped his head, burying his face in her neck and taking in her scent.

"I...have missed this." His voice was low and his breaths warm against her skin. "When I departed, I realized how much I had taken for granted concerning your presence. It was not immediate; I had been admittedly preoccupied with enjoying my travels and experiencing anything and everything I could. It happened slowly. Little things here and there that would make me not only think of you but...want to be with you as well."

Hinata gasped softly and tried to pull back but his grip was firm. "I am no Hyuuga; I am not even from your village," he continued. "While I had been content to only remain friends, Temari's words and learning of your upcoming marriage...you are the first woman I have ever held romantic feelings for. I feel that perhaps I have also taken that for granted. I do not know if this feeling I hold for you is love but the thought of you marrying another...it is unpleasant.

"When I realized it I was surprised and forced myself to take a step back and think on what I wanted and what I wanted to do. I had planned on returning to Suna and becoming Kazekage once more; it had actually seemed to be expected of me. I was torn and conflicted, for I love my village and its people but not being with you and you marrying another..."

Pulling back, Hinata tilted her head to meet his gaze "You...you don't have to –"

"Yes," he cut her off. "I do. Temari was not the only person to write me from home. A few others, people I had formed special bonds with also wrote me; most of them said basically the same thing."

Slowly, he framed her face in his hands, bright green staring down warmly at pale lavender. "More than anything, they wish for me to be happy, and I do not think..." He dipped his head and her hands gripped his shirt as she tilted hers up to close the distance. "I will be able to do that without you." He closed the distance.

xxxxx

"Kira-san!"

The young girl turned, tilting her head slightly. Akio was standing beside her, their fingers interlaced as they had been walking down the streets. This was the first time her papa had allowed her to go out without one of them or another adult and she had been rather excited. The two had been heading for the training grounds to work on their jutsu for the upcoming exam.

Unfocused dark eyes shifted towards the noise but the voice was unfamiliar. Frowning, she turned slightly to Akio who she felt shrug.

"I have no idea."

A girl younger than them by about two years closed the distance, her breaths harsh from running. They stood patiently until she was able to speak coherently.

"You're...Keisuke's sister, right?" she asked and both children stiffened. "I live in the first house of the Uchiha district...my name was 002, now it's Kiu. I...knew Keisuke."

She wasn't lying but there was definitely something...off about her. Kira couldn't explain it as it was only a feeling, but since she relied on her senses and feelings to function as a person she took serious note of it. So she knew Keisuke? That was interesting; he had never mentioned knowing any of the other children. Immediately alarms went off in Kira's head; her natural instinct to distrust anyone and everyone hit her hard.

If she knew Keisuke...it meant that she couldn't be trusted, but that also meant that there was a strong possibility that this girl could lead her to her twin. Kira didn't believe in many things; coincidences were one of them. Everyone always wanted _something_, one just had to figure out what that was.

"Oh." she replied. Akio squeezed her hand and she fought her blush. He was so sweet to her, and he tried so hard to be strong and supportive. Although she hadn't meant for it to happen, she was so happy to have him as a friend. "Um...is there something you want, Kiu-san?"

There was a small spike in the younger girl's chakra at her flat tone and the Uchiha heir closed her eyes, something she did when she didn't want to reveal anything – she had a habit of narrowing her eyes even though she could no longer see from them. Force of habit, more than likely.

"I...I heard he was missing. That he wasn't with us when these people came to rescue us."

"No..." Unconsciously, she found herself leaning back when Akio moved in close. He squeezed her hand again and she could tell he was a bit concerned – she was acting strangely for anyone who knew her well. "Keisuke...died. That was what Kabuto told me."

The shocked gasp Kiu let out was fake; the girl's heartbeat nor her chakra moved an inch.

_She...knows Keisuke is alive._ Which meant that she probably knew where he was...or was in contact with him. But why was she approaching her then? Did she want something from her?

"He's..." She sounded shocked and hurt but it was a load of crap and Kira's expression became very blank, making her look like a female version of her father. "Th-that can't be true...Keisuke was..." Her head must have lowered, for when she spoke again the sound was different. "Please tell me that's not true."

In comparison to Kabuto, the master of lies and subterfuge, this girl was an amateur. "I'm sorry..." Kira, however, was rather good at lying when she needed to. There were a lot of things about her that she didn't show many people and only her father - and Neji somewhat – fully knew and understood her. This time she leaned more into Akio who put a hand on her shoulder.

"Kira-san..." Her voice was still different so the Uchiha could only assume the girl still had her head lowered. "I...didn't know much about Keisuke. Not really. He would sneak into the compound sometimes and talk to me...he talked about you a lot." There was a smile in her voice but it sounded forced. That she wasn't lying about and Kira was genuinely surprised. Why had Keisuke never mentioned her?

_Did it happen...after Kabuto told us he was dead?_ It didn't make sense but that was the only thing she could determine.

Smiling, Kira tilted her head and held out her hand. "It's okay...Kiu-chan. I'm not Keisuke but...if he was your friend then we could be friends too...maybe?"

Kiu's surprise was genuine and Kira was fearful for a moment that perhaps he had told the younger girl about her personality. She had been very close to her twin, Keisuke knew how untrusting she was because he was the same way.

_Which is why him believing Kabuto's lies...I don't understand it._

"I-is it...is it okay?" Kiu asked it very softly, as if unsure or that Kira would become upset. The older girl nodded.

"I'd like that, Kiu-chan." Kira noted how cold the girl's hand felt when she accepted. "Akio-kun and I were going to the training grounds so..."

"Oh!" Another fake gasp and then her voice sounded nervous. "I'm sorry...the exams are coming up right? Me and the others at the first house are going to be enrolling too. S-so maybe I'll see you there...Kira-chan?"

The small smile widened. "Of course!"

"She seemed nice enough." Akio observed as Kiu took off, waving briefly as she did. It wasn't until Kira turned and began walking that she opened her eyes.

"She was lying."

"Huh?" Warm fingers trailed over her palm and she let him take her hand again. "What do you mean?"

Kira hesitated, not sure if she wanted to tell Akio or not. If she told him, he would end up getting involved.

_But he's already involved. Keisuke was tricked by him and...he's a very sore loser._ "I..." She didn't immediately respond and he didn't prod her for an answer, as if knowing that it was something she didn't want to reveal out loud.

It was strange, but Kira began to feel that Akio was beginning to understand her like Keisuke had. Little had needed to be said between them. Their bond had allowed them to just _know,_ and lately it felt that way with Akio. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. It made her happy and apprehensive at the same time.

It was only when they arrived at the training grounds that she turned to him and spoke. "I am almost...positive that she knows Keisuke is alive and..." She frowned, her eyes narrowing as she looked off to the side. "If that's the case, then that means she approached me for a reason."

He seemed to consider this "But why? If she knows he's alive then that means he's contacted her, right? I mean, you didn't know until he came to you; I remember you telling me that."

Was that it? "Maybe..." She frowned, hugging herself. Kira wanted to cry; she hated this. She hated it that her brother was being used and manipulated. Her entire life had been her brother and her father and it hurt so much not having her twin.

"Kira."

Sightless eyes widened when he tucked his fingers under her chin and tilted her head in his direction. He sounded so serious and she couldn't help the blush that emerged. When he began to lean forward she stiffened – he wasn't going to...

Lips brushed her forehead and he leaned back, sighing. "It'll...it'll all work out. It won't be like this forever, so smile, okay?"

Her friend abruptly turned away from her and started walking towards the training posts, his gait stiff. Still blushing, she smiled warmly, her expression somewhat thoughtful.

"Okay, Akio-kun."

xxxxx

Sasuke squeezed his daughter's hand, smiling down at her. "You'll be fine, stop worrying. Neji and I trained you and you've been working hard for years. You're not the youngest kid to graduate from the academy and if they _really_ thought your blindness was an issue you wouldn't be taking the final exam tomorrow."

"Y-yes but..." The nine year old looked down, biting her lip. "What about my team and my jounin sensei?"

With a sigh, Sasuke gave his daughter a look she wouldn't see but would hear in his tone. "You want to be a shinobi and you've turned your disadvantage into a huge advantage. We know it but in the end, you're just going to have to prove yourself. If you don't think you can handle that, you should give up now. It sucks but that's the way it is. You're gonna have to be strong, Kira." Sitting down on his couch, he crossed his arms. "If you give up, then Neji and I wasted two years training you, but better that than you messing up because of lack of confidence."

He didn't exactly enjoy being firm with his daughter but he knew coddling her wasn't the way to go. He had accepted the dangerous path she had decided to choose even though initially he had been terrified of doing so – not wanting to lose someone he loved in his life again. It would not be an easy path for her because of her blindness and he wasn't going to tell her otherwise. "Just remember, turn your disadvantage into an advantage. Let them think you're incompetent because you're blind; it'll probably save your life someday."

"I..." She looked down, her hands doing some sort of fidget thing that reminded him strangely of Neji's cousin. His broken memories recalled a shy and stuttering girl with a short haircut and he mentally shuddered. Maybe he should stop letting Kira hang around the Hyuuga head so much. The prospect of her becoming a stuttering, bumbling mess was not appealing. "I'm sorry, papa." She took a deep breath and raised her head. "I won't give up...I'm an Uchiha. We don't give up no matter what."

"Hn." Smirking, he put a hand through her hair and she giggled. "Go to Kurenai's or her kid is going to have a fit. I heard him practically shouting on the phone about how he wanted to do some last minute training."

The father watched with amusement as his daughter ducked her head and tried hard not to blush. Really, did she honestly think he didn't _know_ about her little crush? Well, if she kept thinking it he'd keep letting her think it, whatever. "Alright, papa. I might be home late, though."

Sasuke shrugged. "Tell the Sarutobi boy to be a man and escort you home and I won't care. I know how important tomorrow is for you two. Neji and I have a meeting so we won't be around when you graduate, but we'll do something for you two tomorrow regardless." Kurenai was all beside herself about her twelve year old graduating from the academy, and since Hinata was her partner in crime when it came to the kids, they already had something planned, but he'd let that be a surprise. They'd probably kill him if he spoiled it anyway.

A dark eye took in his little girl as she gave him a quick hug and then was off. He took in the ease that she now moved around. Were it not for the fact that he knew her to be blind, he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

She was ready. She'd do well. Kira had ended up being trained by the two geniuses of two powerful clans. If she _didn't_ do well he'd be shocked.

There was a familiar flare of chakra and smirking, Sasuke stood up and began to head towards the back door. His significant other let out a small startled gasp as he was yanked inside and pinned against the wall. White eyes blinked twice before Neji sighed in slight exasperation.

"Let me guess." The Hyuuga tilted his head. "Kira's at Kurenai's?"

"Mmhm." The one thing he learned about himself over the past almost three years was that he tended to be rather...needy if neglected for too long. He began to trail kisses along a slender neck, smirking smugly when the other let out a breath. Both men were uncomfortable doing anything intimate when their daughter, who had _amazing_ hearing, was in the house. This meant that sometimes Sasuke had to go days or even weeks without and that was just unacceptable after a while. Then they both had rather busy schedules and a lot of times they were simply too tired to do anything but sleep.

He had finally acquired a balance between who he had started to become after his amnesia and the scattered memories of his past. Although he only remembered shards, Naruto and Sakura had told him _everything_. His quest for revenge, killing Itachi, finding out the truth and his descent into madness. Even now it still felt like a story about another guy named Uchiha Sasuke, and yet, it was familiar at the same time. He still had nightmares about Kabuto and the labs, but he figured it would probably be like that for the rest of his life. Ten years of torture was a very long time.

Sasuke's feelings concerning the village were mixed. From the beginning he had felt uneasy and knowing the truth _had_ made him angry about what had been done to his clan and his brother. So, he didn't really love the village or its people, but he had his daughter, Neji, and his new clan to worry about. It was done and over – a past he could barely remember and would never be able to fully relate to again. He had more important things in his life than anger and hatred now.

Speaking of more important things...

"Sasuke..." The Uchiha ignored the weak sounding protest as his hands slid under loose robes to hardened skin underneath. He nuzzled Neji's neck and earned an appreciative moan in response. "I...wait there was..." He let out another breath. "Stop trying to distract –"

"Seduce," he corrected.

"Me," The Hyuuga finished flatly. "I have news. There have been..." His eyes closed and he shuddered underneath Sasuke as he was bitten, the spot being lightly lapped at with a warm tongue. "Sasuke..." It sounded like a warning.

He ignored it. "Go on." He began to slide fabric over Neji's shoulders. "I'm listening."

"Insufferable..." he muttered darkly and Sasuke scoffed.

"Don't try to play it off like you're not as bad as me because you are and you know it."

"That really...isn't the point." He wiggled and realized it was a bad idea with the other male pressed up against him. In response the Uchiha began to move his hips, his breaths a little labored from the friction. "Sasuke this is...Kabuto..." He let out a relieved breath when the younger male pulled back, frowning.

So it _was_ important; very important. He did not move, however. Neji's presence was always soothing to him and he had a feeling he would need it. "Is Keisuke...?"

He wanted his son back. He hated that it was like this.

"I do not know for certain." Arms wrapped around him and Sasuke buried his face in the crook of Neji's neck, closing his eye. "But ANBU claim they spotted a boy that matched Keisuke's description and an old man, probably Kabuto in disguise. Unfortunately, they were spotted near the border of the country and then mysteriously disappeared."

"Two years of silence and now this. It's not a coincidence." He resisted the urge to sigh as the Hyuuga put his hand through his hair. It was times like this that made him glad they were together. Sasuke really felt that a lot of who he became was not just because of his memories but because of the man he had married. Had he stayed alone he was sure he wouldn't have turned out the same. He would have probably become an extremely angry, bitter, anti-social individual. Neji had given him what he had needed and he was content with himself. He wasn't Uchiha Sasuke of the past but he wasn't a terrified and paranoid amnesiac either.

"I agree. We can suspect that he may strike eventually and I am almost positive he will use Keisuke in some fashion. We haven't found any more labs that he could have been using, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have any. We will need to be prepared for anything." He paused for a tense moment. "Sasuke...when you see Keisuke again, what will you do? Do you...believe he can be saved?"

The Uchiha knew what Neji was really asking and he had no answer, not really. "I'll find out when I see him...but if Naruto was able to save me, I doubt it'd be impossible to save my son. Removing the curse mark shouldn't be impossible...I kind of remember Itachi freeing me of its influence when I had fought Orochimaru. It's the brainwashing that will be the real problem."

The hand moving through his hair stopped. "You remember that?"

"Not really." He shook his head. "It's kind of hard to describe. It's more like I _know_ that it happened as opposed to me remembering it. There's a lot of things Naruto and Sakura didn't tell me because they hadn't been around when it had happened. Pretty much all of it is vague or blank; I just seem to know certain things is all."

"I see." Fingers continued to move though his hair but the Uchiha knew better. It wasn't often Neji reacted in that manner and Sasuke smiled slightly. Losing him to his memories was a very real fear for the Hyuuga and probably would be for a while to come.

Knowing his past, he could understand Neji's fears and so never held it against him. Knowing what he knew now, his old self probably would have dismissed or discarded the Hyuuga. Were he to mysteriously and magically regain all of his memories, however, he had a feeling – and it was only a feeling – that it still wouldn't change anything between them.

"I thought you said you didn't believe in coincidences," he said and if Neji didn't get it – which was unlikely – he wasn't going to elaborate.

It took a few moments for the implication to sink in but the Hyuuga wasn't considered a genius for nothing. He snorted lightly, and then Sasuke's world shifted abruptly as he found his back slammed to the wall, his wrists pinned above his head as Neji leaned in, a mischievous gleam to his white eyes.

"I don't." The words were whispered along his lips and this time he shuddered underneath the man. It was not often the Hyuuga became overly assertive; he had been alright with Sasuke's more aggressive nature and had actually encouraged it, knowing it was something the Uchiha had needed.

He wasn't aggressive often but when he was...

Grinning, he closed the distance between their lips with no small amount of force, enjoying the chill that went down his spine as the grip on his wrists became almost painful. He didn't fight the Hyuuga's push for dominance...well not much anyway. It wasn't fun if he just _gave_ the man what he wanted.

Sasuke cried out in surprise and desire as they tore their lips apart and a sharp sting blossomed along his neck. "Neji..." The name was said softly as hips jerked and erections rubbed roughly. He tilted his head back against the wall as a tongue trailed along the shell of his ear.

"I don't believe in coincidences," the Hyuuga began. "So let me make this perfectly clear for now and for the future." His voice dropped an octave and he nipped lightly on an earlobe. "You are _mine_, and under no certain circumstances do I intend to ever let you go."

"Hn. Fair enough." When Neji pulled back to look at him, the Uchiha smiled sensually. "Talking is over now," he murmured and jerked forward again, claiming the Hyuuga's lips.

xxxxx

"We'll be there soon." An old man leaned heavily against his cane as he looked down at the young boy at his side. He took in the curse mark and grinned inwardly. So young and yet he had survived; Uchiha genes were strong indeed.

The nine year old didn't respond; his dark gaze was on the horizon as they stood on a cliff face in Iwa.  
Impatient. Angry. Bitter. It had been difficult getting the boy to believe he had been completely abandoned by his father but the curse mark's influence helped with that. Now he was growing, learning, and was becoming every bit like his father...the old Uchiha Sasuke.

It helped that he was frustrated with his twin. He had been unable to get Keisuke to hate the girl so he kept him obsessed instead. Obsessed in freeing her, obsessed in curing her eyes – if such a thing were even possible. His entire life was now dedicated to two things.

Getting his sister back and to kill his father, the one who 'betrayed' him.

Like father like son. It was hilariously ironic.

"How much longer?" Keisuke still had his back to him, voice cold and emotionless.

"Kiu-chan told you that Kira-chan was going to become a genin soon, yes? You'll have plenty of opportunities when she starts taking missions out of the village. Until then, we should train you more so that you'll be ready when the time comes."

"Hn." The boy scoffed and tilted his head towards the 'old man', eyes flashing crimson. "Whatever." He turned his gaze back to the horizon. "I'll be able to handle my sister whenever. She's never been stronger than me and with this..." His hand moved over his shoulder. "Just do your part, snake, and I'll do mine."

"Hm?" He blinked and Keisuke turned, the grin never fading.

"You didn't honestly believe I wouldn't figure it out, did you? Yakushi Kabuto."

A puff of smoke appeared, revealing a rather young looking Kabuto. Golden eyes narrowed in amusement. "When did you figure it out?" _And what are you going to do now that you know, boy?_

"It doesn't matter." He turned back. "I'll deal with the devil himself if it'll get me my sister back. I won't wait for him to betray her too."

Ah, so he knew but he was still under the other influences. Well, that was fine then; he had hated being in disguise anyway. "Very well. Let's go, Keisuke."

"Kabuto. I'm doing this...but you better hold up your end of the bargain. You'll fix Kira's eyes."

Just as arrogant and cocky as his father as well. "I said I would, didn't I? I've gotten you this far. It would be pointless to betray you when you've been doing so well. I've spent quite a bit of time on you, boy. Bring her to me and she'll see again, I promise."

When Keisuke turned and started walking away his eyes were dark again. "Let's go then."

_You should have listened to your sister the first time,_ he thought, the ever present smile on his face. _No one does anything for free, Uchiha Keisuke. You'll learn that soon enough._


End file.
